Reconfigurable control displays for games, toys, and other applications

ABSTRACT

Disclosed herein are new forms of computer inputs particularly using TV cameras, and providing affordable methods and apparatus for unique game play, such as rear projection devices for pinball and common board games using machine vision to determine the location of objects and/or features of objects. Particular embodiments employing fast and reliable acquisition and tracking of game related objects and their motion are disclosed, together with numerous applications. Also disclosed are related embodiments for instrumentation and control systems, such as those used in homes and cars.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Nos.60/499,890 filed Sep. 4, 2003 entitled “RTD Gaming”; 60/502,271 filedSep. 12, 2003 entitled Reconfigurable Tactile Control Displays; and60/539,578 filed Jan. 29, 2004 entitled Reconfigurable Tactile ControlDisplays For Automobile Instrument Panels and other Applications.

This application is a continuation of co-pending application Ser. No.10/934,762 filed Sep. 7, 2004; which is a Continuation in Part of myco-pending applications PCT/US2004/09701 filed Mar. 31, 2004, entitledReconfigurable Vehicle Instrument Panels; U.S. application Ser. No.10/611,814 filed Jul. 2, 2003; U.S. application Ser. No. 09/789,538filed Feb. 2, 2011 entitled Programmable Tactile touch Screen Displaysand Man-Machine Interfaces for Improved Vehicle Instrumentation andTelematics; and U.S. application Ser. No. 09/612,225 filed Jul. 7, 2000,entitled Camera Based Man Machine Interfaces.

CROSS REFERENCES TO RELATED CO-PENDING APPLICATIONS BY THE INVENTOR

-   -   1. Touch TV and other Man Machine Interfaces (application Ser.        No. 09/435,854 which was a continuation of application Ser. No.        07/946,908, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,352,);    -   2. Useful Man Machine interfaces and application Ser. No.        09/138,339;    -   3. application Ser. No. 09/789,538 entitled Programmable Tactile        touch Screen Displays and Man machine Interfaces for Improved        Vehicle Instrumentation and Telematics;    -   4. application Ser. No. 10/611, 814 filed Jul. 2, 2003;    -   5. Application no. PCT/US2004/09701 filed Mar. 31, 2004,        entitled Reconfigurable Vehicle Instrument Panels; and    -   6. application Ser. No. 09/612,225 entitled Camera Based Man        Machine Interfaces.

The disclosures of the above provisional patent applications, patentsand co-pending patent applications by the inventor are incorporatedherein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention concerns affordable methods and apparatus for new forms ofdynamically variable games and human interfaces for machine controlusing machine vision to determine the location or movement of objectsand/or features of objects. Particular embodiments employing fast andreliable acquisition of game related objects and their motion trackingare disclosed, together with numerous applications, for example to gamessuch as pinball and board games. Also disclosed are related embodimentsfor instrumentation and control system interfaces, such as those used inhomes and automobiles.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The background of the invention has been discussed in the co-pendingpatent applications relative to human interfaces for control systems andrelated applications. In terms of the use in games and toys as furtherdisclosed herein, I know of no work similar to the instant invention,which discloses method and apparatus for creating dynamic and easilychanged versions of classical games having a playing surface such aspinball and board games in which physical objects are moved by theplayer, in consideration of the physical attributes or displayedgraphics on the playing surface on which the objects are moved.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

My co-pending regular applications referenced above, and allincorporated by reference herein) describe a new form of interactivecontrol display I call a Reconfigurable Tactile Control Display, or“RTD”, for use in automobiles, homes and the like. In some preferredembodiments, a TV camera and associated image processing are used todetermine both the rotational or xy position of various physical devicessuch as knobs, and/or the position in xy of a finger touch.

In practicing this invention I have also come to realize that it alsocan form the basis of a class of games, often played in horizontal ornearly horizontal table type form, but not necessarily. Games of thistype, which may be constructed using the invention, include games suchas pinball, pachinko, billiards, shuffleboard, racing, and board games.In these it is generally the position of a play object on a playingsurface such as a ball or marker or car that is sensed by a machinevision system incorporating at least one TV camera. Alternatively, or inaddition, the sensed variable can be the location of a finger touchingthe gaming surface. The complete programmability of the system includingdisplayed data and graphics, and the physical interchangeability of theplaying surface, make it possible to have many different games share thesame structure, reducing the overall hardware and software cost per gameaccordingly. A projection display is preferred to accommodate differentplaying surfaces, often of significant size, and because of itscompatibility with the use of machine vision cameras placed behind thescreen on the projector side.

One typical example of a pinball game uses a commercially available rearprojection TV turned so its screen is nearly horizontal and uses themachine vision camera of the invention, placed inside the TV set andviewing the region of the screen from the rear, to track a ball rollingon the TV screen or an overlaid playing surface placed upon it.

The projection TV device allows dynamically varying graphics and otheractivity to be generated in order to create the image seen by the useron the playing surface. This allows one to change the character of thewhole game by changing not only the projection display and machinevision image analysis software characteristic of the game in question,but also, if desired, the physical nature of the front playing surface(either an overlay in front of the TV screen or provided on it), onwhich various bumpers, pins, and other mechanical details might beattached. Other playing surfaces could have grooves or ridges providedthereon, or different elevations on a larger scale such as hills andvalleys.

Further disclosed herein are gaming machines and other games which otherutilize unique features of the RTD such as its ability to havemechanical devices protrude through the screen on which game relatedinformation is displayed, and the ability to determine location offinger touch on the play or display surface which can for example beused to interact with stored or live TV camera images.

In one embodiment, the game also serves as a conventional TV set whenfacing appropriately and with physical game structure removed from atleast the TV viewing region of interest. This too allows the cost (andspace requirements) of the device to be shared over multiple uses. Forexample in the family room of a home, it can be both a TV and, atanother time, a game.

Another form of game (or other activity) is also disclosed in which ahand, head or other object portion of a player in the game is sensed inits 3D position and generally orientation as well, and a graphicaldepiction of the object part sensed is displayed on the display, such asan HDTV projection TV. This depicted portion then may interact withgraphically depicted characters on the screen, through the playersaction of the sensed portion of the player.

The invention herein also discloses further embodiments useful incontrols and instrumentation such as automobile instrument panels. Newforms of physical control details such as knobs sliders and switches aredisclosed which enable reliable operation with TV cameras, and whichallow display of projected data on the face of the detail, by modifyingthe construction of a rear projection screen in the location of thedetail. In the switches disclosed, a z-axis motion into the screen isreliably converted using novel methods into a change in width orlocation of one or more imaged datum's seen by the TV camera (whoseimage field is typically in x and y). Other embodiments include costeffective method for providing enhanced control functions on low costcars having mechanical control actuations for HVAC functions. Newmethods for detection of finger touch using machine vision in these orother systems are also disclosed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 illustrates a pinball game of the invention having a computercontrolled, rear projection display programmable in its function as aresult of machine vision based sensing of the ball shot by the player;

FIG. 2 illustrates a pachinko game of the invention, similar to that ofFIG. 1 but vertical in its orientation characteristic of pachinko;

FIG. 3 illustrates an interchangeable playing surface suitable for usein a pinball game;

FIG. 4 illustrates a shuffleboard game of the invention;

FIG. 5 illustrates a toy racecar game of the invention. In this examplethe play object (a car) runs in a track or lane on the playing surface;

FIG. 6 illustrates a horse racing game of the invention usinginformation from stored or live race TV camera images, which can be usedto determine new betting regimes or for pure amusement;

FIG. 7 illustrates a board game of the invention, programmable toaccommodate a large number of different common games such as monopoly,scrabble, checkers, and variations thereof. FIG. 7 also illustrates thealternative (and convertible) use of the game device as a home TV orentertainment system;

FIG. 8 illustrates a curved screen slot machine of the invention with amechanical handle through the screen and a projected response to handlemovement;

FIG. 9 illustrates a camera based game with a portion of the user sensedby a camera system depicted on the screen, either in a 3D representationusing computer generated graphics, or video clips called from memory;

FIG. 10 illustrates a preferred embodiment having physical details andtouch features;

FIG. 11 illustrates an embodiment of the invention employing knobs ofFIG. 1 based on a traditional Radio layout, located in the center stackregion of the instrument panel of a car, and its reconfiguration undercomputer control into climate controls;

FIG. 12 is a block diagram of sensing and control steps;

FIG. 13 illustrates a screen/control surface of the invention;

FIG. 14 illustrates a curved screen/control surface of the invention;

FIG. 15 illustrates a rear view embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 16 illustrates machine vision sensing of physical control details,including rocker switches;

FIG. 17 illustrates methods of machine vision sensing of finger touch;

FIG. 18 illustrates gesture and position based inputs for control ofentertainment devices in the rear seat of a minivan;

FIG. 19 illustrates an embodiment of the invention suitable for use inthe kitchen or other room in a home;

FIG. 20 illustrates an alternative method for sensing knobs and otherdetails on a screen;

FIG. 21 illustrates an alternative electro-optical method for sensingknobs and other details on a screen;

FIG. 22 illustrates a pushbutton switch according to the invention; and

FIG. 23 illustrates a center stack configuration including manualactivated functions and dual control knobs and sliders.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 illustrates a representative pinball embodiment having the basiccomponents of rear projection video image display, in this case providedby a Samsung 61 inch diagonal HDTV (16×9 aspect ratio) DLP rearprojection HDTV set, 100, turned with its screen face up as shown, inthis case also making a slight angle theta to the horizontal typical ofpinball games.

For example, the ball 105 at time t1 shot by retracting plunger 106rolls around the top of the pinball enclosure 110 (on top of the screen101 of TV set 100) and at time t2 hits a bumper 120 characteristic ofthe game. In this case the camera image obtained by camera 125 observingthe area of playing surface 103 on top of the screen of the TV set 101contains the position of the ball in the xy plane of the playingsurface, as well as any other objects on the surface such as bumper 120.When computer 130 it can be analyzed and determined that the ball hashit bumper 120, and on subsequent image frames its new reboundinglocation determined processes this image.

The data that bumper 120 has been hit is then used by computer 130 tocontrol one or more game parameters, for example to drive the DLPprojector 131 of the TV set to display new graphics from the computerincluding a display of a flashing bumper hit, for example by varying theillumination of the bumper, the words on or near the bumper orindications as desired. A scoreboard type game parameter may bedisplayed on the playing surface by the projector, or on a separateboard typical of pinball games such as 140. The scoreboard can also besuitably changed to indicate the event, for example adding 100 points tothe score when the bumper is hit.

The game of Pinball comprehends that the ball may hit multiple bumpersor sidewalls or other objects. Its path, its position, and new path andwhat it hit can all be sensed using the camera and computer system ofthe invention and similarly acted on for scoring, projection or otherpurposes.

When the ball 105 hits at a further time t3 a flipper 150 near thebottom of the game surface, the player may activate a button energizinga solenoid to flip the flipper as is well known in pinball machine play,in order to send the ball back toward the top and replay it, hoping tohit more scoring locations. These locations may be bumper hits, sidehits, or just passing over a certain projected symbol such as bulls eye155 shown, which game parameter might only be projected on to the screenfor a short period of play if desired. The camera computer system candetect the presence of the ball in any or all of these locations asdisclosed herein and in copending applications. The computer systemsynchronizes the projection and sensing functions as needed, togetherwith any audio information, such as from a Way file in the computer,such as a cheer for making a score.

In another aspect of play, the ball may fall down and be recovered, suchas ball 106 which has just fallen thru hole 107 and is caught by trap108 out of the path of projected light to the display surface. Thescreen design allows one to insert a solenoid in a hole that a ballfalls into, in order to eject it back to the playing surface if desired.In some cases it may be desired to use a fresnel lens to collimate theprojected image.

When all balls (usually 5) have been played, the game is ended and thetotal score tallied by the computer and the results displayed asdesired.

Such a system is totally programmable in terms of all projected data,and the meaning given sensed locations and paths of the ball in thevideo image processing system and the control of any game parametersusing this data. A suitable processing program is the Matrox (Montreal,Quebec) MIL image processing library, version 7.0 resident in a Pentium4 based PC operating at 3 GHZ. A suitable camera is a Vitana (OttawaOntario) progressive scan firewire type, which may be digitallyinterfaced to the same computer. In processing the image it is generallydesirable to scan the camera array substantially only where expectedball positions are, in order to speed up scan time. Pixel addressingtypes of cameras like the Fuga 1000 (from fill factory in Belgium) forexample can allow even individual addressing of pixels, as opposed towindows of pixels, and are even better for tracking of the balls motion.

It is also of interest to note that the game surface including thephysical location of bumpers and sideways and the like can be completelychanged at little cost. One might for example leave the flippers (andtheir associated mounts and guide rails conveying a missed ball into theball deposit hole) always in place at the bottom as shown, but changeout everything from line 160 forward, to create different game versions.This is done simply by replacing the playing surface member and thephysical items thereon. Since there is no need for electricalconnections to the bumpers or other physical items, this makes theinterchange very inexpensive, with software being the main differencebetween the games—itself costing little. The games however, may betotally different in their play, due to the changed physical locationsand projected data and interaction program.

When operating in reflection, where light reflected from the ball andobjects like bumpers is detected, the Projector source itself canprovide the illumination. Alternatively, The light source can be anInfra red source (e.g. a LED array 162 operating at a wavelength 880 nm)and located with the TV camera which may incorporate a band pass filterin front of the camera lens (obtainable from Edmund Optical co inBarrington, N.J. but not shown for clarity) if desired to seesubstantially only light at this wavelength. Typically, the source 162is controlled by the computer to operate in concert with the TV camera.As a further alternate, front lighting from overhead sources can beprovided, such that the objects such as the ball, bumper sidewalls andflippers are detected by backlighting thereof (providing a shadowimage). Here too it can be desirable to operate in the infrared to notdisturb play. A possible problem here is that the player in some gamemodes may obscure the overhead lighting at some point.

It should be noted that the device of FIG. 1 could be hand held, as thedisplay and camera and computer technology is such that the whole thingcan be miniaturized. In this case a player might hold the pinball tablein two hands and move it in order to cause a ball to roll this way orthat, with the projection scoring and other features adjusted asdescribed above.

Note that due to the non-contact nature of the operation of this uniquepinball game, the projector and/or camera can be fixed while the gametable was tilted or translated by the player. The machine vision systemcan sense the new orientation or location and adjust via the computer,the projection system and the displayed graphics accordingly.

FIG. 2 illustrates a similar arrangement for Pachinko—a form of pinballplayed primarily in Japan that typically, as I understand it, has noflippers (but could have such player activated mechanisms if desired).In this case the ball such as 200 is shot vertically by the playerturning a knob such as 205 and releasing it. The ball then afterreaching the top falls down through pins, with the manner in which theyfall determining the score. Pins 220-223 are indicative of the manypins, which typically protrude form the playing and display surface.

In the instant invention, it is preferable that the balls fall throughthe cascade of pins in a constrained manner between an outer glass plateand the front of the projection screen on the inside, so the player cansee them falling in front of the displayed graphics, but the balls don'tfall out. Pin ball tables typically have glass tops too. As in thepinball case, the motion of the balls can be tracked by a computer andcamera based machine vision system, and various scoring possibilitiesand display possibilities engaged, which can make the game moreinteresting for the players. Note that the pins can be transparentplastic, which like the bumpers in FIG. 1, can have data projectedthrough them, typically to a scattering surface on their outer face,such as some knobs of FIG. 10 employ.

The ball in this Pachinko example of the invention is not necessarilyagainst the portion of the projection surface in its fall, but if it isnot too distant, it can be seen adequately by the vision system throughthe screen. This is particularly true for less diffusive screens, and itis noted that wide diffusion such as provided by 3M vikuiti screens withminute glass bead scatterers is not required here, since the player istypically directly in front of the screen. In the pinball case, he isoff at an angle to at least a portion of the surface and there may beonlookers who need to see as well. The unshaded playing and displaysurface portion is easily interchangeable along with different gamesoftware.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative playing surface, which may besubstituted for that of FIG. 1. In this case it is assumed the flippersremain in place and that this surface replaces that from 160 upwards.Note however, that the flippers could be changed as well if desired. Thenon-shaded portion is interchanged along with the requisite software(projection display and camera image analysis) to match. This versionhas 5 bumpers (labeled 1-5) and a different sidewall guide.

It should be noted that my copending US application Camera Based ManMachine Interfaces Ser. No. 09/612,225, incorporated herein byreference, discloses board games and other games in which a cameraoverhead is used to see markers and play. It also discloses advantageouspixel addressing camera arrangements for object tracking. The use of thecamera overhead allows more freedom in design of the playing surface(which doesn't have to be light transmitting), and allows the human tobe sensed with the camera as well. A projection device such as the DLPprojector disclosed herein can be used to project play informationdesired too. However package does not lend itself to a self containedmachine, and there is the possibility of human obscuration in play.

FIG. 4 illustrates a similar surface for a shuffleboard game 400. Themarkings on the shuffleboard surface 405 can be the same each time, orchanged in the projector. In this case the shuffleboard pucks such as420 and 421 are all sensed with the camera including their relativelocations to the scoring positions in the typical triangle shapedarrangement on the projected board. The surface of the shuffleboarddevice however, to operate using the invention needs to transmit theprojected light, and this limits the use of wood boarding as is oftenthe case with shuffleboard. For this reason shuffleboard might best beplayed with the method of Ser. No. 09/612,225, though a projector likedisclosed herein could be used to project data on the play surface fromabove. Other table games could be done this way as well, however. Alsoone can build a game in which the infra red sensing from below is usedas disclosed herein, operating thru a playing surface that transmitsInfrared but not visible. In this case projection would be from the top,or a playing surface with printed on labels and data could be used.

Just as shuffleboard comprehends the determination of the location ofmultiple pucks using the video camera of the invention, so may one seemultiple balls at once, even in motion, for example in the pinball orpachinko games above. This allows a very dynamic game for a player,playing two balls at once for example in pinball.

FIG. 5 illustrates a racing car game of the invention. In this example,at least one play object, such as a toy car 500, runs in a track or lane505, (or tracks plural, such as parallel tracks) on the playing surface510. This lane can be a groove in the surface or a rail or railsextending above the surface, for example. Once again the TV camera ofthe system detects its location, and change in location indicative ofspeed if desired, and controls the projection and scoring. The car iscontrolled by means of known electrical or radio controls. If electricalcurrent to the track is required, the means to do this can be added tothe playing surface.

It is noted that the game can also be played where there is no fixedtrack, using the machine vision system to detect the position in xy ofthe car anywhere in the playing surface, like the pinball of FIG. 1(noting that the vision system in this case can optionally also detectthe pointing direction of the car and thus the path it will follow inthe future). This is useful with radio controlled cars for example. Andlike the shuffleboard example, it may be useful to project informationfrom above the surface, as well as locate the camera above the surface,if the surface is opaque, such as a dirt track.

By using a surface on which information can be displayed from the rear,it is possible to nicely project for example on the surface an turn in aroad, or a new route, which could be constantly varied depending on theposition of the cars.

FIG. 6 illustrates a horse racing game of the invention. One versioncould be similar to the car above, with horses instead of cars. Forexample, it can be a model horse electrically driven with wheels,magnetically, or whatever and radio controlled for example. Power can beby battery, or provided inductively since the playing surface cancontain inductive power transfer tracks, coils or other devices withoutinterrupting the projection or sensing. (such devices can also be usedto change the path or speed of pin balls for example as well, or ofstones in a simulated curling game like shuffleboard)

Alternatively, the track may be virtual, instead of physical, which isto say in visually projected image form. In this case the player of ahorse moves a control connected to the computer controlling theprojector to cause the horse to follow the track at a desired speed,also in consideration of other horses, actual horse capability data,horse performance statistics, jockey information, track information, orthe like. And in yet another form, the horse(s) too can be virtual andtheir images projected.

Illustrated is a quite different version, which in this example is usedfor betting. The horse's images 600 and 601 displayed by the projector(not shown) on the game screen 605, can be video images of real horsesrunning in a race, provided by a remote camera either in real time (forexample at an actual race track) or via stored video imagery fromcomputer and data storage 620 connected to the projector.

The use of data from a race in real time, allows a new form of dynamicbetting during the running of the race to occur. In this case, theplayer can place a bet during the race on a given horse (or horses)running the race by for example touching its image on the screen, usinghis finger 630 to touch the horse image 600. (Though it is recognizedthat other forms of bet placing can be done such as touching a projectedicon box on the screen rather than the horse itself). Data, such as 650about the race can also be projected, and the odds can (and likely will)change as the race gets further along toward the finish, since near thefinish the winner and relative placement of the horses becomes moreobvious. This betting can be done at the track, or anywhere data can betransmitted to the system of the invention.

If one is to touch the horse itself on the screen to bet (as opposed,for example, to an icon box with the horses name or number on it), it isnecessary for the system to identify the horse. The video processor ofthe invention, or a processor at the track at the point of dataacquisition can be used by known means to determine from the horsesnumbers or other codes which horse image on the screen is which.

The user can also use the touch capability of the screen of theinvention to touch some of the data as desired, or specialized iconboxes that could be projected such as bets allowed, or whatever.

Some of this type of activity can be done using conventional videomonitors and conventional touch screens, but there is an advantage Ibelieve in having a big screen so that individual horses are easily seenand interacted with. Rear projection easily provides this and the RTDinvention is economical. Since it can provide physical controls such asknob on the screen as desired, and an interactive touch data entrycapability, at modest extra cost over the basic projection TV itself.

Camera imagery projected on the screen can also be provided from thehorse's viewpoint if desired, for example with tiny battery poweredcameras and transmitters on the horse or the jockey as an example.

The unit is shown in the figure as vertical (as if one was looking out awindow from the grandstand at the track), but could be in another plane.

FIG. 7 illustrates a board game of the invention, which can havephysical pieces such as 700 moved by a player on a projected game boardon board surface 705 on top of TV screen 710 of projection TV 720,including within its housing the TV Camera, computer and Projector ofthe invention as disclosed above. In this case too, the machine visionsystem determines the location of the piece 700 also in relation to theprojected information and other pieces, including pieces that arestationary. For example, the camera and associated machine visionprocessor in a projected monopoly game can determine the location ofeach person's player (and whose it is by its shape or color) and thelocation of the number of houses or other thing s placed on the variousproperties in the projected locations around the square of the board,which in turn is imaged by the TV camera whose data is processed by themachine vision software used.

The projection TV can be based on the Samsung DLP chip based onementioned above. However since Monopoly and many other board games havea square board, a projection TV with a more square aspect ratio such asthe historic 4×3 aspect ratio would be better suited than theaforementioned HDTV ratio of 16:9. (With the latter, a significant partis unused, though it can be used to show other data such as, inmonopoly, pictures of the real estate properties to be purchased orsold. In a Clue game, it could show still or moving pictures of thesuspects, for example gaming data and relative scores could be projectedin the spare space, as could game instructions when needed. And so on.Special square TVs can also be built with video projectors and squarescreens if desired.

Using the invention this monopoly game can be changed using onlysoftware, into virtually any other board game desired. The player'spieces can even be chosen arbitrarily and taught to the system, in orderto set a game parameter of that player. For example one player might usea quarter, and the other a dime. The camera and computer would determinethe large diameter piece belonged to player 1 and the smaller to player2, as each put their piece down in succession.

One can also easily create ones own board games for such a system bygenerating desired graphics using for example a CAD system, and makingup rules and other game parameters for pieces and their locations whichcan be associated with video camera image data.

Finally, one can when not playing games, just use it as a TV set or homeentertainment system, for example by removing the play surface ifnecessary (for example if the playing surface was not sufficientlytransparent or had objects attached to it) and just having a swingmechanism such as 760 to swing the unit to the horizontal or any otherangle for best viewing.

FIG. 8 illustrates a curved screen slot machine of the invention.

As noted in the co-pending applications the screen of the invention doesnot have to be flat, and indeed for automobile use is often curved. AVideo projector source can easily project on a curved screen, withappropriate optics.

In one example, a slot machine 800 is here illustrated which for examplehas a curved screen 805, though it too could have a flat screen as shownin the embodiments above. The curved screen in this case is forstylistic effect, and differentiates the device from other flat screenvideo games. A video projector 810 illuminates the screen from the rearusing computer control 815 including a memory where the stored graphicsdesired are located. Alternatively such information can be downloadedfrom remote sources. As in the above cases a TV camera 816 observesthings occurring on the screen or objects associated with it andcommunicates this image information to the processing program incomputer 815. A suitable program could be the Matrox (Montreal, Quebec)MIL image processing library, version 7.0

Another differentiator is a mechanical lever handle 830 through a cutout in the screen, which is pulled by the user in order to start thevideo simulated wheels moving (in a classical three rotating dial slotmachine arrangement). This handle could have been on the outside of thehousing holding the components but is here shown as going through a slot835 in the screen 805. This arrangement allows data to be displayeddirectly adjacent the handle. For example, the handle position and itsspeed and acceleration may be detected by successive observation of apoint on the handle by camera and in so doing, the projector dynamicallychanged to present such data, for example telling the user some piece ofrelated information. For example, when the handle is in position 835′ inits travel, (dotted lines) the words “PULL HARDER” might be projected.This can be used to add a bit more “Skill” into how the handle ispulled, turning if desired the game into not just a game of luck (justas pachinko has a small bit of skill involved in how the ball isshot—note that such dynamics can be added to pachinko too, by using thecamera to monitor the shooting knob or something connected with it).

The slot in which the lever handle travels may alternatively not befully surrounded by the screen. The ability of the RTD inventionprojection display screen in general to be irregular in shape, or havecutouts in it, and to be curved as desired, tends to help separate sucha game from the run of the mill video gaming device.

The RTD can also sense touch it is possible to project touch icons ontothe screen and let the player touch these for some purpose, for example,to select a handle pulling regime. Or to ask the machine for a furtherbet if a certain situation arises in the rotating wheel (or other such)win information results. The RTD may also allow physical control detailssuch as knobs 850 or 851 to be turned to affect play.

Where a scanning projector is used, this device may also be used, asdisclosed in co-pending applications, to sense as well, obviating thenecessity for as separate camera.

Because the camera and computer can discern colors as well as shapes,and other geometric variables, one can have different colored balls ifdesired all sensed independently. This can allow multi-user games, whichhistorically might have been, like pinball, suitable only for one.

It should be noted that more than one TV camera can be used to detectpositions, velocities, accelerations or events on the playing surface ofthe invention. Use of multiple cameras allows more resolution, differentvantage points or angulations for lighting advantage, or otherpossibilities. The cameras can also observe the same field of view butfor different reasons. For example, one camera can be looking at thewhole field, while another (such as a pixel addressing type) is used forhigh speed tracking of an object in the field.

In the above discussion x and y are generally the axes of the playingsurface which also correspond to the camera image. Z is the dimension inthe direction normal to the surface.

In the sense of its use of a machine vision system to sense gameactivity, it is both similar to the disclosure of some of my othercopending applications. And some of the teachings herein can be used inthose embodiments as well

While it is considered that most projected display data and/or gaminginstructions for the computer and vision system would be stored locally(e.g. on DVD), it also comprehended that such could be downloaded fromremote sources.

It should be noted in the above examples that optional cameras may beused to sense the player himself, or an object in his hand or otherobject, such as taught in my invention U.S. Pat. No. 5,982,352, andother copending applications. And this data, for example hand or headposition or movement direction, or pointing direction, can becoordinated to influence the data projected. The machine visionprocessor of the apparatus can in many cases handle the data from eachcamera, allowing an economy of scale.

FIG. 9 carries this thought another step in a manner related to some ofmy previous inventions, and depicts is a camera based game with threedimensional graphics, in which a portion of a player, in this case hand900 of the player 905 is depicted on the screen 910. The hand is sensedby one or more TV cameras 915 and data processed by computer 920 havingmachine vision software such as the Matrox Mil 7.2 library. In theexample shown, the users hand in this case may have an artificial datumset 935 of three distinct high contrast targets (in this case depictedas the apexes of the triangle, but which could be for example circulardots as shown in many of my cases) which allows the camera to rapidlyacquire accurate data in several degrees of freedom, usually 5 and often6. This in turn allows the computer graphics processor 940 to display onthe screen 910 a graphical representation 945 of the detected playerportion in this case a hand, and its detected interaction with adisplayed object on the screen, in this case a cat, 950 As thegraphically depicted hand 945 strokes the cat in a manner following themotion of the players real hand 900 using the invention, the cat imagecan be programmed in the computer 920 to make appropriate movements withaccompanying sounds from the computer's speaker system via Way files orthe like called up from memory.

Because the system has been instructed that it is tracking your hand,and your position can be entered with respect tot the computer displayscreen, one can also predict the location and orientation of andcomputer generate in processor 940, life like associated images for yourtracked portion, for example in this case arm 955 as shown. If otherportions of your hand are sensed, such as your fingers (in the caseshown from their natural features such as edges or tips) pinchingmotions and other finger gestures can also be used in a coordinatedmanner with the display.

More than one object can be tracked, for example both hands. This canparticularly be accomplished as disclosed in co-pending applications.Also discussed there is the use of a stereo pair of cameras such as 916and 917 having a baseline between them, such as shown in dotted lines.

It should be noted that the tracked object could be something you haveon your body, such as a hand puppet, whose own hands are monitored inthis way, such that the puppet may be guided by the player to interactwith other puppets displayed on the screen.

Another game assumes that the graphics depicted is not graphicallygenerated, but rather video clips chosen to suit the movement orposition of the player at a certain time.

Another aspect of the invention herein disclosed concerns a display andcontrol device particularly suited for Automotive Instrument Panels andother applications. It introduces the concept of a “Control Surface”which together with the associated display creates what I have called a“Reconfigurable Tactile Control Display” (or “RTD”).

There is a great need in the industry to provide improved functionalityand safety made possible by electronics while at the same timemitigating problems of driver distraction. To be really useful, thisneed must be met in a stylistically attractive manner, at low enoughcost to enable wide spread usage. If possible, I feel a large displayspace further needs to be enabled on the instrument panel for many addedfunctions such as camera video or navigational aids, which presently isconstrained to small screen areas of limited utility by the limited realestate available in conventional vehicles today. And it is furtherdesirable to have an instrument panel which can be personalized for theuser, or at least for a group of users in a particular “package”.

In this application I will define the instrument panel has having both adisplay surface and a control surface. In a conventional instrumentpanel, the two are completely distinct—a significantly sized Display (ifany) in the range of 5 inch diagonal or greater goes in one place, knobsor other physical controls in another.

In some embodiments of this invention the display and control surfacecan occupy the same physical area, which means that much more space isfreed up for both, relative to a conventional Instrument panel.

While the location of the invention in the instrument panel of thevehicle can be anywhere the driver needs to interact, the basicembodiment of this application (at least for near termcommercialization) is located in the vehicle “center stack” regionbetween the two front seats and utilizes both conventional knobs andother tactile control and selection means, plus unique touch screen likecapabilities. These functions are desirably (but not necessarily)achieved using TV camera and image processing computer means todetermine knob or finger state or location (for example). This ispreferably accomplished by using a rear projection type display, andviewing the region of the screen from the rear, with the camera locatednear the image projector, and both controlled by interconnected computermeans. (Which may be the same computer). Use of rear projection alsoallows a desirably large display capable of easy reading and tactileinteraction to be provided at modest cost, both of the display portionand the means to read the control or finger location.

The knobs and other selection means are typically located right on thescreen itself, or an overlay member thereon. This screen or overlay isthus also a control surface, on which several other forms of controlsco-exist as well with the displayed data. By sharing the display areabetween the knob selection or adjustment functions (and their written orpictographic description), and the display functions (e.g. display ofnavigational charts), space is saved on the IP and larger knobs andlettering may be provided (especially given the programmablyreconfigurable operation). This then promotes safety immediately bymaking it easier to see what is desired, or has been affected. Forfurther flexibility and utility, the screen can also function as a touchscreen as disclosed herein.

It should be noted that alternative versions might have knobs mounted inwhole or in part to the side of the screen, with data concerning theiroperation projected on the screen

Contributing even more to safety, the tactile feel of the knob, or othertactile physical selection or adjustment means, can itself beprogrammable, for example using programmable acoustic wave pulsesproviding many added benefits, and discussed further below. Note thatsuch a reconfigurable tactile control response can be programmed tochange with function selected, and/or variable affected. And can operatestatically too, to give the driver a chance to tell the setting of theknob by feel alone. In addition, conventional cues to the driver such asthe displayed values or computer-generated speech can be used as well orinstead.

The preferred instrument panel related embodiment is simple in conceptand execution, allowing it to be low in cost yet high in functionality.It has only a simple video data projector (which can be of severaltypes, such as DLP, LCOS, Flying spot or other), a screen with physicalcontrols such as knobs attached, a computer, an electro-opticaldetection means (typically a low cost TV camera), and possibly anauxiliary IR LED light source and other small items. This one device cansafely be used to control, if desired, nearly all the human interfacedfunctions of the vehicle and provide the largest possible display spaceat needed times for critical information besides. The screen, which canbe curved or irregular in shape if desired, and the physical controlsthereon together with associated display and control software can beinterchanged easily and inexpensively allowing a vast array of differentoption packages.

The functionality and cost are further aided, by the combination of bothsensing of physical controls and finger touch in the same system. Thisallows virtual controls (in which finger touch based selection oroperation is undertaken in response to projected data) to be provided atvery low cost, further expanding the utility of the device. In addition,the RTD invention herein not only has quasi-conventional tactilecontrols such as knobs, but may employ other passive and active tactilefeedback characteristics to provide information to the user when minimumglance time is available to look at the display.

A simple and easily understood format for the control surface/displayscreen is also disclosed which allows what I feel is the preferredtransition for the average motorist from the instrument panel of today,to a reconfigurable one of tomorrow. This is based on common “radio” and“heater” controls (today called Audio or Entertainment, and Climate, orHVAC respectively), including their conventional position in the centerportion of the Instrument Panel

The RTD invention is thus safe and easy to use, being similar in certainkey aspects to the conventional instrument panel of today (for examplein its use of quasi conventional knobs, sliders and switches). Itappears to comply with the US National Highway and Traffic SafetyAdministration Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 101 for Controlsand Displays (FMVSS 101). The RTD may be one of the few, and perhaps theonly, fully reconfigurable device capable of doing so, an extremelyimportant feature. And it easily meets and exceeds the recent industrypromulgated guidelines in so far as glance related Driver Distractionissues are concerned

Because of its unique design in which the control surface and thedisplay co-exist, the invention can provide, at affordable cost, 5-10times the effective display area (relative to conventional LCD screensused in vehicles today for navigational systems and other purposes) andprovide a substantially increased control surface and its attendant easeand flexibility of operation, while still meeting the FMVSS 101regulations regarding labeling of the controls. This affords manyadvantages to the user, for example:

-   -   Larger lettering or pictographs can be used; making quick        glances easier and for many drivers, this could be the        difference between something of great use, and something        use-less. The lettering can be in ones language of choice as        well.    -   More data of the same size can be presented at once obviating        the need for frustrating menu selection.    -   The size of any tactile control devices such as knobs can be        larger, also because they can provide multiple functions.    -   Because the display is also a touch device, the much bigger        nature of it also allows one to more easily select or “hit”, in        the case of a displayed button say, the desired function.    -   Video and other data can be presented alongside text data    -   Video data and close-ups of certain sections can be provided.        One example is a navigational display with a inset showing        detail, both side by side    -   Video and other data can be provided for driver confirmation or        designation in the case of critical images and stereo camera        pairs.

Another advantageous embodiment herein is directed at use of theinvention to aid backing up—a problem which is the cause of largenumbers of accidents and deaths every year. This also helps see in blindspots, particularly that on the side of the vehicle opposite the driver,where the right side mirror is inadequate or poorly adjusted.

An embodiment of the invention suitable for use in the home is alsodisclosed, which can provide commensurate savings in switch gear anddisplays of individual appliances and other devices such as furnacethermostats and the like, as well as vastly improved ease of use andother features. The home application in conjunction with the car furtherreinforces the familiarity and commonality of controls and providesadded economies of scale. This application expands on the use in thehome, particularly with a kitchen based control system. In the homeapplication commensurate savings in switchgear and displays ofindividual appliances and other devices such as furnace thermostats andthe like are expected. In addition, the home application in conjunctionwith the car further reinforces the commonality of controls and providesadded economies of scale.

As shown in the diagrammatic side view of FIG. 10 a, a center stack ofan instrument panel (not shown) is equipped with a large (for a vehiclee.g. 10×12 inches) rear projection screen panel 1505 comprisingpreferably made of non shattering light transmissive plastic sheet 1503,having in this example a myriad of small glass beads 1504 on its backsurface which serve to widely diffuse the light incident on them, in amanner creating minimum backscatter.

The beads are encased in black plastic, with only the tiny sphericalsurface near their focus (which due to their index of refraction ofapprox n=1.9 is approximately at their surface) protruding from theblack matrix holding them. This design increases contrast of thedisplay, and is also useful for keeping light from the driver's sidefrom entering the optical system of the invention, and for shielding theinner workings of the device from view of persons within the vehicle. Atypical commercial screen of this type is 3M “vikuiti “brand XRV typeNP, which is ⅛ inch thick approximately, with glass beads 002-003” indiameter. This screen is however made of a black film with the beadsprecisely place in it (using 3 M patented techniques) which is laminatedto the screen material desired. Thus it is possible to have screens ofother thickness' and shapes. 3/16 thick and ¼ thick screens have beensuccessfully used with the invention.

Thicker or thinner screens can also be produced, which can be made bylaminating the base film containing the beads and blackening material toanother material, either flat or curved, and typically of plastic. Forthe bead type material to work as designed, the open aperture of thebeads should be toward the projector. A version of this having a fresnellens incorporated is called “Black bead” and is made by Dai Nipponprinting co in Denmark.

Alternatively screens having less dispersion vertically thanhorizontally can be used, as well as ones tailored using holographicdiffusers or gratings or other optical elements such as lenticulararrays to disperse light preferentially to the range of viewingdirections of driver locations. This can be really useful in projectionsystems in optimizing the light available to the driver, and to a lesserdegree the right front seat passenger. In some cases, prismaticmaterials, which may be in the form of films, may be used to divertlight from the screen in specific directions. For example, projectedlight hitting the bottom of the screen in region toward the floor can bebent upward toward the driver using a prismatic film at that region,where as no film, or less refractive film would be needed at region inthe middle of the instrument panel. At the top one might use such a filmto bend the light in the other direction toward the driver.

While the display screen/control surface extends out of the plane of thepaper. While shown flat in this drawing, the screen/control surface inmany cases is curved for stylistic or other reasons. This isparticularly true since the screen is large and needs to fit in withother parts of the instrument panel, which are generally curvedthemselves. The curvature can be either convex, or concave, or compound,and can be of irregular shape, and of a shape staggered in the z-axis.

A computer controlled display projector 1510, controlled by computer1520, illuminates the screen. This projector may be on axis as shown orlocated at angle to the screen normal in either plane.

Video imagery or Computer data including messages and othercommunications 1521 down loaded to the computer 1520 from externalsources by known means, or from sources 1522 within the vehicle itself,can be thus projected on the screen.

In this embodiment, knob 1515, and if desired, further knobs or othercontrol details not shown for clarity, are mounted, for example with pin1506 directly to the screen 1505 so as to be rotatable thereon tovarious positions which are sensed (for example by electro-optical meanssuch as camera 1517 which looks at points such as mark 1518 on the backof the knob 1515 or other wise related to knob rotational position) andreported to the computer 1520 which in turn calculates the knobposition, functions or other data and executes the control functiondesired by interfacing with the cars electrical and control system andfurther causes the display device 1510 typically illuminated by a whitelight xenon or other lamp to project suitable information concerningsame onto the screen. This information is typically data concerning theknob position and the setting resulting there from. The same camera canview and provide data used to determine the state of a host of differenttactile physical selection or adjustment means such as knobs sliders,dials, or switches on the screen. In addition, their various positionsand changes therein can be analyzed nearly simultaneously by thecomputer 1520 and appropriate control and display responses made.

Alternatively the camera can observe a flag member such as 1521 on thebackside of the screen and rotating with the pin as the knob is rotated.This gives the best contrast (as the beads don't interfere) and in thiscase a retro reflector flag can be used (which otherwise has difficultyoperating properly if the light travels through the beads, The imagefield of the camera 1502 for this knob configuration is shown for theknob in the initial position 1512, and for rotation 90 degrees counterclockwise from this position (as viewed by the camera) 1513.

The knob does not have to be held by a pin, and can be fastened to thescreen by any appropriate means, including adhesive and from the outsidecircumference of a bearing such as 1531 holding a second knob such as1530 as shown.

In addition it is possible to have the target or other datum observed bythe camera be on the knob side of the screen. For example consider theknob targets used in one illustrative experimental example were simplyaluminium portions of the knob housing 1530 itself, which had beenblackened where the targets weren't. The knob as shown is held from itsoutside in bearing race 1531 attached to the screen 1505. The knob ishollow which allows data to be projected to the screen in the middle ofthe knob by projector 1510. The rear of the knob facing the camera 1513is shown having in this example three targets 1533-1535 forming anisosceles triangle whose base line was between the two closely spacedtargets, and the axis of the knob being defined as a line 1540perpendicular to the base to the third target 1535 at the apex. Thisarrangement allowed the pointing angle of the axis to be determinedeasily by processing the image obtained by the Sony CCTV camera used.This image was first acquired, by a Matrox (Montreal, Canada) “Genesis”image processing board in computer 1520, and then using the Matrox Mil4.0 image library software, processed first to find the blobsrepresented by the targets, and then the triangle calculation wasperformed. In another and preferable version, an added step includingfirst subtracting the image obtained from a previous image taken underanother condition not representing the instant situation, and thenfinding the blobs and the triangle calculation.

Once the knob location was found, a lookup table relating to the angleobtained was entered to find a value of the variable desired to beprojected. In one case the projector was controlled to project a line ona radio dial, indicative of where the knob, in this case representingthe tuning knob, was in terms of frequency. In another case, the sameknob was used to control the projector to project a heat bar ofdifferent color and length dependent on knob rotational position. Ineach case output signals were also provided to control the physicalradio or heat-mixing door of the vehicle HVAC system.

As discussed in co-pending applications and further on in thisapplication, is also possible using the invention to sense the location1560 in two axes of a finger touch on the screen, such as finger 1565.This capability gives added flexibility to the design of control systemsusing the invention, as it allows virtual controls (such as touch boxicons) to be displayed arbitrarily, and the driver's response determinedby the location of touch, or absence thereof.

Note that the TV Camera above can be any suitable device, for example astandard 640×480 pixel RS170 standard camera. High resolution istypically not needed to see either physical detail position or fingerlocation. However, it is generally desirable to have a progressive scanor pixel addressable camera, which can allow one to scan only certainwindows of the image, therefore speeding up the sensing of all theobjects in the windows. For example, if there are two knobs with windows100×100 pixels each, and 5 virtual touch icon boxes projected of 30×30pixels each, this means that only 24,900 pixels are needed to be scannedto determine the basic information of two knob positions and whether anyof the 5 icon boxes was touched. This is less than 1/10 the number ofpixels in the aforementioned camera, which accordingly can operate 10 ormore times faster than the RS170 standard of 30 frames per second. Thisis more than ample to track knob turning or touch in any tests to date.

The camera shown can view the datum's and fingers from whatever angle issatisfactory. Using a beaded screen like 3Ms there is an approx +/−30degrees angular attack with respect to the normal that one can get datafrom datum's on the driver's side of the screen thru the beads of thescreen. This is not a limit if the datum's are on the camera side of thebeads, or if the beads are otherwise not in the path of light reachingthe datum's and returning to the camera, such as shown below relative tothe slider 155 and knob 1545 in FIG. 10 b

FIG. 10 b illustrates another type of design of a physical detail suchas knob or slider, in which the detail itself contains the screensurface on which information is projected through a clear path withinthe detail itself, typically a hole in the detail, or in some cases thedetail itself is made of clear plastic. The projector 1510 is fed databy computer 1520 to cause it to display on the screen 1505 whateverimage is desired for viewing (which could be a blank image as well). Inthe back region of knob 1545 an annular ring of light from the projectorilluminates the annular ring of the knob where datum's lie. In this caseonly one datum 1547 is shown, a radial line shaped one, but more datum'sand other shapes can be used as desired to suit the accuracyrequirements needed. The datum's can lie on the back of the knob on thedriver side of the screen as shown above, which allows the knob to betransparent in its center. Or as shown in this figure the screen can becut out to form hole 1548 in the center with the actual diffusingportion 1546 of the knob located on the knob 1545 itself, which rotatesin a bearing race 1542 affixed to the screen with adhesive or othermeans. In this case the datum's, such as line target 1547 are rotatingradially like a clock hand. The hole may optionally be covered by glasswindow 1544 to seal the region behind the screen. The line target (orother datum used) in this case can be a retro reflector, such as scotchlight 7615 material having very desirable return signal characteristicswhen the light source axis is close to the projector axis as shown. Thiscreates a much higher signal to noise than other wise the case with theknob as shown in FIG. 10 a for example, as there is no backgroundbackscatter from the beaded screen, and there is a very high (often1000:1 or more) return from the beads of the retroreflector used as adatum. 3 datum's like.

In FIG. 10 a, the projector itself has provided the illumination for theobjects imaged by camera 1517. It should be noted that since measurementcan be made very quickly using suitable cameras, that the projector needonly be on for a short time, e.g. 10 msec. At this amount anyillumination used to measure will not be readily seen by the user, andthe screen will just appear a little gray.

It is preferable in many cases to use an illumination source for sensingpurposes independent of the projection source. A good choice for this isa LED source, usually comprised by a plurality of infrared Leds ofwavelength 880 or 940 nanometers, though other choices can be used aswell. Such a source cannot be seen by the user, allowing sensing to takeplace even with the projector off. And by using an LED, one can filterthe camera image with a band pass filter to allow only light in the Ledwavelength region to be imaged. In addition, the LED source can becontrolled by computer 1520 to fire at designated times, for example onand off during a given measurement to allow the camera images obtainedin each condition to be subtracted in order to eliminate backgroundreadings.

Camera 1517 images the reflection back from the datum 1547 to obtain animage 1549 of the datum (shown on a representation of the image field1595 of camera 1517) which is analyzed by computer 1520 to determine thecircumferential angular location of the datum and thence the knob, andthus the selection or value desired by the user. This datum may be inreference to optional targets on the corners of the screen or elsewhereused to register location, independent of camera position and vibrationif present.

While described as a knob movable rotationally, other tactile physicalselection or adjustment means like sliders, switches, levers or the likewhich are movable linearly, angularly, or in other manners can be usedin a similar manner. For example FIG. 10 b further illustrates a slider1550 with a handle (moved by the driver or other user), 1554 whichslides in track 1551 fastened by adhesive to clear plastic window member1555 which itself is glued to the front of screen 1505, preferably insuch a way as to seal the opening 1560 slotted in the screen. The rearsurface of member 1555 desirably matches that of the screen outersurface such that a tight gap free adhesive bond can be made. Thisarrangement also has the same benefit as discussed relative to the useof optional glass window 1544 with knob 1545 above, namely that datum1558 observed by camera 1517 to determine its linear position up anddown on the drawing page, can be a retro reflector.

In addition light from projector 1510 in this case passes through slot1560 as shown with the projected light being dispersed from handle outersurface 1565 which is diffusive and acts as a screen, such thatinformation relating to the slider can directly appear on surface 1565of the slider handle itself. (Note that the projector and camera aretypically farther back in their optical path than able to be representedin the drawing for clarity).

There are several types of rear projection screen arrangements, whichuse different diffusing elements such as 3M Vikuiti glass beads andblack coating 1504 applied to the rear surface as shown, or microspheresdistributed through the bulk of the screen plastic material 1505,surface roughness scattering by grinding a surface, such as surface, orlenticular elements, as discussed in co-pending applications.Alternative to cutting a hole or slot in the screen such as 1548, or1560, one can remove scattering elements from the screen in the regionof the knob (or other physical detail such as a slider above). Thisallows light to pass substantially undisturbed thru the screen from theprojector and auxiliary sources such as LED's if used. This can be donefor example by removing the vikuti beaded film in the region shown indotted lines 1599 behind knob 1530 in FIG. 10 a and thus exposing atleast a portion of the clear path within the knob to undiffused (that isnot scattered) projected data. In this manner too if the not scatteredportion is sufficiently large, knob target 1531 can be directly observedby the camera 1517 and a retroreflector used if desired providing veryhigh contrast. And projected information can be displayed on a diffusingscreen more desirably located near the outermost edge of the knob awayfrom the screen in order to minimize obscuration, which is especially aproblem with small diameter or width knobs switches and sliders, whichstick up from the surface of the screen substantially in order to beeasily gripped.

The slider axial position along the track is also determined by camera1517 coupled with computer 1520, and this data is used for control ofcontrolled items by the slider, as well as to control the graphicalrepresentation of slider labels, slider variable data, or other dataprojected.

Optionally the slider handle 1554 can also be a knob, rotatable aboutaxis 1570 of the handle, generally perpendicular to the surface ofscreen 1529. This handle rotation can also be sensed by camera 1538 in amanner similar to knob 1530 or 1545 if desired. In this manner, data canbe entered by a user using the device, which has a dual function both ofslider axial position and handle rotation position. This would becomplex to build conventionally, but is simple using xy sensing providedby non-contact machine vision which easily can track the position andorientation of both the slider and the knob.

One useful projector display device 1510 is those having MEM's basedDigital light processing (DLP) chips by Texas instruments. Another is asystem such as employed in the 3M brand 7640i projector, having threeLCDs each modulating a given color, R G or B. It should be noted thatfor the automotive application, high resolution is not required andrelatively inexpensive MEMS or LCDs chips can be used (in comparison toHDTV applications, for example). Even less expensive are the LCOS(liquid crystal on silicon) chips on the horizon, which, like the DLPchips, operate in reflection

Today projection devices such as these used for presentations inconference rooms are illuminated by high intensity white light projectorlamps which are very hot, require high voltage, and expensive. It wouldbe desirable to have another source for automotive use. But suchconference projectors are meant for big areas (e.g. for presentations)and the vehicle only requires a fraction of the area to be illuminated(e.g. 10×10 or 100 inches squared, vs. 40×50, or 2000 inches squared—ormore—for a projector. If the ratio is 20 times, the light power can alsobe so reduced. This then allows one to use smaller bulbs, bulbs of morelong lasting design, run bulbs in de-rated manners, or the like in orderto achieve minimum cost and/or maximum bulb life—an important issue forautomotive or other use.

More appealing would be solid state sources such as diode lasers or LEDsas an illumination source. We have run a test with a LumaLED superbrightred orange LED, which produced somewhat acceptable results over asmaller area. It was 55 lumens vs. 800 to 1000 of a sample smallprojector such as a 3M model 7640. White as well as colored LEDS of 120lumens are now available as well.

One generally needs to even out the light field of the semiconductorsources to get best results when using the above projected imagemodulating technologies. This can be aided by putting a suitableholographic diffuser in the path of light from the LED. These can beordered from Edmund optical co, with various dispersion angles asdesired.

Finally a third type of knob design has a clear center portion 1585 thatis fastened (for example with clear adhesive 1586) to the screen 1505.Rotating about this clear center portion is knob 1590 having one or morecamera observable datum's 1591. This too can employ a diffusing outersurface if used with appropriate screens, or one can just look throughthe clear portion 1585 at data displayed on the screen 1505 underneath.

FIG. 11 a illustrates a front view of apparatus like that shown in theside view of FIG. 10, in the form of an embodiment of the inventionemploying knobs of FIG. 10 based on a “traditional” Radio layout 1600,located on screen 1601 in the center stack region of the instrumentpanel.

In FIG. 11 a example, the physical control details on the screen itselfare the two knobs 1610 and 1611, and four pushbuttons 1620-1623, whichmay be virtually projected and touched to operate using the touch screenfunction, or physical buttons which can be sensed optically using acamera such as 1517 or otherwise. (Note other numbers and sizes of knobsand pushbuttons may also be employed, and the buttons can be virtuallyprojected and actuated by touch if desired, rather than physicalpressing in). The projected image portions on the screen are thesurrounding lettering and graphics, and the radio dial numbers 1625 andindicator needle 1626. (Like many a 1950's car radio, graphicalrepresentations of which can even be lifted from actual radios of theera, and projected onto the screen 1601).

Projected graphics and alphanumeric characters are also used toilluminate the knobs, such as Vol and Tune shown. This illumination canbe next to the knob, or if the knob is constructed as shown with atransparent center section, right in the middle of the knob.

Similarly the buttons can be so illuminated with projected radio stationcall signs, such as WXYZ, or the frequency, or some other delineator.The knob centers can also contain projected information if desired, ascan all regions around the various controls. As shown the function ofthe knobs, for volume (VOL) and tuner (TUNE) are displayed in the middleof the knob as shown in other figures. Alternatively, the data can beprojected below or above the knob for example as desired.

A typical height of such a device would be H=12 inches, and width W=10inches, and in some vehicles taller or curved or wider devices might beemployed. Smaller devices can also be used, but are less desirable inmost cases as one big advantage is screen size for display of importantinformation such as from backup or right side blind spot cameras.

The region at the top of the screen most in the driver's field of viewis desirably reserved for key images such as backing up or right sidecamera views, or key data. This area can also be where virtual controlsoperated by touch are used as desired.

FIG. 11 b illustrates the case where the function is changed from aRadio to a heater; more correctly today called Climate Control or HVACin the trade (heating ventilating and air conditioning). The buttons andknobs are knob re-labeled with projected data to suit the new function.For example the left knob now is the temperature, and the right knob isnow fan speed. In this example, pressing a button in (either a physicalor real button as desired) may be used to control air direction choiceas one example.

Entertainment and Climate are the main control sections found in thevast majority of vehicle center stacks today. Since this onereconfigurable control of the RTD invention accommodates both, thisleaves more space for an associated Video display, for larger knobs andlettering, and other functions too as desired. And they may be, ifdesired, provided in a manner similar to today, that is with physicalknobs and buttons, in the usual expected places (e.g. with knobs on bothsides of the scale or other display). The only difference is that theentertainment function is reconfigurable with the climate.

But it needn't stop there. For example FIG. 11 c illustrates the screencenter stack with neither radio nor heater projected—in other words inits empty state, with the system off (assuming the buttons were physicalbuttons, if they were virtually projected, they wouldn't be presenteither). Clearly anything else desired may also be projected throughappropriate software, which could be controlled with the two knobs and 4physical buttons shown.

Where buttons are virtual projected types, small relief detailspermanently on the screen such as ridges or grooves or indents areuseful for finding the projected button location by feel. The buttonscan be chosen to be projected at or near the desired locations where therelief details are, for whatever function radio, heat etc is desired.For example, the region of a virtual projected button 1620 for examplecould be slightly indented, so ones finger could find it easily. Theseindents if not severe, will not unduly disturb other informationprojected in the same place. But an indent in one location say for aradio preset virtual button, can be used in another mode, say as aheater air distribution virtual selection button, as shown in FIG. 11 b.

Screen Switching

To switch from one function to another (e.g. Radio to Heat), one can usea variety of means. For example, on the steering wheel one may includeswitches for the various function groups—climate, entertainment,comfort, etc. Pushing or scroll dialing or otherwise actuating a switchwould switch the function to a heater for example from whatever it was(e.g. a radio). Or one can use a simple touch switch on the steeringwheel or elsewhere to scroll through the functions desired. In additionor alternatively one can use voice recognition to do this, by justsaying “heater”.

In addition or alternatively, function switches can be on the RTDitself, and can be hard physical details, or in the case shown, “soft”using projected icons such as 1650-1653 on the RTD screen 1660 which isequipped as disclosed with touch sensing capability to respond to fingertouches thereon. These can be used with relief features to aid theirfinding by touch as has been pointed out above and in referencedapplications. As shown, round switch icon 1651 is shown illuminatedafter a touch by a driver to select it (the function selected such asclimate, can also be displayed). And those functions not selected can bedisplayed too, but for example smaller or less bright, or another color,so as to distinguish them from the currently selected one.

Other external switches can be used too, for example on the left orright armrest. This is particularly easy if a limited number of screensare used, for example 3 or 4 (climate, Entertainment, comfort, andsafety, as will be described below). Optionally, illumination of iconscan be under computer control and selected to only illuminate those forwhich action may be needed.

The use of soft functions allows the maximum screen space to be freedup, for example to facilitate display of TV images and otherinformation. One such image is the region behind the vehicle, taken withone or more TV cameras as previously noted. This is ideally displayed inthe region at the top of the screen along the driver's line of sight.

Selection can also be done with a multi-axis knob, which can be pushedin to select in sequence, or a 4-axis knob as disclosed above to allowone to select one of 4 displays simply by momentarily jogging the knobto one of the 4 quadrants. Thus the radio volume knob could also be aselection knob for 4 different functions—e.g. Radio, Climate, CD/DVD andtelecommunications.

A typical scenario for operation is for the driver to unlock the carwith a radio transmitter, which then signals the computer of the RTD todisplay in region 1670 shown in FIG. 11 b, the view behind the vehicletaken with camera or cameras not shown looking rearward. This view isdisplayed until forward gear engaged or some manual override occurs, togive the maximum time for the driver to see the image of things orpersons behind him.

Also in the initial condition, the Climate control display such as thatof 11 b may be activated. Settings are made, or not made, by the user,and then after a few seconds of inactivity (variable by user setting)the system may default to the entertainment screen of FIG. 11 a, unlessthe climate controls are being worked by the user.

Other manual overrides would be to cause an additional screen(s) to beprojected and set by the operator.

For those who are audiophiles the whole region 1670 above theradio/heater section may be devoted to auxiliary controls for CDequalizers, and mixers. For example using virtual sliders 1680-83 to mixsounds from several sources. These are ideally provided in a virtualmanner using the touch sensing capabilities of the invention, but canalternatively be selected with a multi-axis knob such as shown above oranother type of selection device such as mouse, joystick or the like. Oralternatively provided as hard physical details.

In the above figures, detents of the classical mechanical kind can bebuilt into a knob or slider and its mounting. In addition, the computersuch as 1520 may also control vibrator wave source (such as used forexample in Cell phones or pagers) 1524 to excite the screen and anyphysical details such as knobs or switches thereon to provide a“programmable” feel in conjunction with any visual data presented. Thiscan give a different feeling or vibration for each position of knob 1610or 1611 for example. And one can have different frequencies than theother, so as to be distinguishable one from the other. The actuallocation of the settings can be determined by the point at which thefeel is felt, as a programmable position detent, so to speak. In thiscase the display may be varied as well. The sensed indication of theknob datum in one of the rotational positions is used to provide inputto control the programmable wave source 1524. For example if the volumeknob is most counter clockwise, the volume could be low, and thevibration amplitude low as well, when the knob was fully clockwise toits max setting, the vibration amplitude could be highest.

Lettering, Labeling, and Knob (or Other Physical Control) Size.

For most automotive control applications studies by transportationresearchers suggest that lettering for controls in the center stack moreor less in the drivers line of sight, should be at least 5 mm×5 mm perletter, and larger perhaps for elderly drivers and others who couldbenefit by it. For a high resolution density of 5×5 pixels per characterfor example, 5 mm high letters would only require 250×250 pixels to beprojected for a 250×250 mm (10×10 inch) display. This is easily achievedwith even modest projector or other display technology today. Of course,higher resolution allows more dense displays, for various data and otherimages that could be desirable. Resolution of 1280×1024 pixels iscommonly available if required (albeit at more cost).

I believe that lettering 7 mm high or more is very desirable for ease ofreading while driving. If the character size is for a simple example 7×7mm, then a center stack of 250 mm (10 inches approx) width canaccommodate 250/7 or approx 34 letters and spaces of equal size. If twolarge horizontally aligned knobs of 50 mm are used, which are big, andeasy to grasp, this reduces the amount of lettering space to a minimum50 mm in the direction horizontally through the knobs, or approximately22 letters, if one goes right to the edge of the center stack with theprojected data (an advantage of the invention in its projectionembodiment). This is still sufficient for most purposes, either to showdata relating to the knobs, or to add information in the space betweenthe knobs. But only with a large screen substantially running right tothe edge of the available space in the center stack (or elsewhere) canone achieve having such large letters, and such big knobs.

Knobs and switches are today the most common and accepted physicalcontrol means for automobile instrument panel use. It is my opinion thatknobs of at least 25 mm in diameter are desirable for this application,and preferably 35 mm and above for use by older people or those withdisabilities. And people in general, who wish to grab a knob withoutlooking too hard where it is. Larger knobs such as those in the 35-50 mmdiameter range typically allow more selection positions and may alsomore easily incorporate clear centers through which screen dataconcerning the knob action can be projected and viewed. Or as pointedout elsewhere the knob front surface itself may constitute the screen,which diverges light to the driver representing data projected on to it.The invention thus comprehends projection of data through the center ofknobs, sliders or switches, aiding comprehension

Where smaller knobs such as 25 mm are used, one may of course put moreof them on a given screen/control surface, than if knobs twice the sizeare used. Again the availability of larger lettering space for theseknobs is desirable. Realizing too, that the lettering size can be variedby the computer controlling the display in order to suit the needs ofthe driver. And in special high stress situations it might beautomatically increased in size (or conversely, temporarily eliminated,in order to make room for important other information such as roadhazard warnings or video images of consequence.

Preferably, the screen/control surface of the embodiments above, andother automotive instrument panel embodiments herein is large, on theorder of 9×7 inches or larger, to provide the advantages of largerphysical controls (e.g. knobs) and lettering, plus a substantial displayarea for information and video images, as well as a surface for virtualcontrols as needed (or optionally, added physical control details). Inmy opinion it should be as large as possible with in vehicle inquestion, and it is not unreasonable to consider even 12×14 inch or10×18 inch RTD control displays. And some vehicles could even employmore than one such RTD device within a given instrument panel complex.For example, they could be in an over-under arrangement, or one on theright side of the steering wheel with another on the left.

The position or movement of any knobs (rotation) or levers/switches(linear motion) is monitored, as is the location of finger touch on thescreen (where virtual controls are desired). In one preferredembodiment, the same machine vision system performs both functions, andis integrated with the computer control of the display and the forcefeedback. The total system is elegantly simple, and allows for a myriadof additional features. Particularly of interest are those in which thetactile aspects of the instrument panel can be tailored in theirentirety to the needs of individual users or the desires of individualvehicle model development.

FIG. 12 is a block diagram illustrating control of various devices by aPC based version of the invention, in which the projector unit 1770 iscontrolled by PC 1771 in response to programs resident thereon. Imagedata 1774 from Camera 1775 is processed 1778 by Matrox MIL softwareresident in the PC. Data from the processing is analyzed 1780 todetermine position of fingers or physical details as for exampledescribed above, and from this a determination 1784 is made as to whatcontrol actions to take, which action data 1785 are used to controldevices such as motors, relays or other devices, and to generateappropriate signals to change the display accordingly.

FIG. 13 illustrates a curved screen/control surface of the invention,which may be curved into the plane of the drawing at its top and bottom(convex) or outward (concave) or any curve desired, including compoundcurves, as long as the projector focal depth can extend over the surfacearea desired. Typically I have found that a 3-inch focal depth canreasonably be maintained for the size of letters used, without recourseto design of special optics to account for curved image surfaces. Themachine vision portion of the invention typically can have a much largerdepth of focus, as focus plays less important a part in the sensing. Itshould also be noted that the outline of the screen could be anythingdesired, and does not have to be the rectangle shown in the drawing.

A novel arrangement wherein a large knob 1855 of the invention is off tothe side of a curved screen 1860 like FIG. 4 a is in this case labelmarkings such as 1862 and 1863 and 1864 are projected on the screencorresponding to knob positions selected. They can be projected all thetime, or three such labels such as 1862-1864 can be only those of theinstant selection plus one ahead and one behind it in the direction ofrotation for example.

For example, consider the center stack of FIG. 14, which illustrates asurface being curved toward the windshield in region 2085 and thenhaving a more vertical section 2087 indented a distance D. It mayoptionally also be tilted toward the driver an angle to the plane of thepaper if desired. And in addition one can have a screen region 2082 inwhich the transmission shift lever 2083 projects through a slot, hole orother cut out in the screen with data as to its position (PRNDL forexample) and possibly other variant information relating to transmissionor chassis functions for example projected next to it. Knobs such as2084 and other details can be located anywhere on the above surfaces asdesired.

On region 2085 the controls such as Climate and Audio are projected andknobs and other controls used as described above. In section 2087however, the variable focal distance afforded by the invention, allowsthe graphical representations of speedometer, fuel gage, and otherinstruments to be projected on surface 2087 aimed toward the driver.These readings vary with the variable in question. When backing up, theinstruments are not needed, and instead a backup image may be projectedin the same region 2087 (and/or 2085 as well). Also at other times, moreimportant information can override the instrument and gage projection aswell. This can particularly be when camera or other sensor data ofimmediate value with respect to safety needs to be viewed (as indangerous traffic or passing maneuvers), when malfunctions or othervehicle problems occur, or the like. Even in these conditions, one maynot overwrite everything, but leave for example as small digital displayof speed remaining on the display. (Almost all other gage functions arenot time important and presumably do not need attention during othercrisis periods).

In some cases the instrumentation display on surface 2088 can bealternated with a display of either the rear image, or an image as shownin FIG. 15 taken from a camera 2093 looking rearward along the side ofthe car and mounted, for example, in the right side mirror mount 2094(also replacing same if desired). This image 2092 can be quite large(e.g. 30 cm wide and 18 cm high and easier to see than looking at thenormal right side mirror (in left hand drive cars). Such side mirrorstoday are generally convex to provide a bigger field of view, whichhowever results in erroneous depth determination (which is why they sayobjects seem closer than they appear), and can cause considerableproblems in viewing vehicles approaching from the right, and in theblind spot of the vehicle. This problem is obviated by the invention,which puts a very large display closer to the driver with a wider fieldof view, and no depth error. While advantageously done with theprojector system of the invention, display surface 2088 could beprovided by another form of display such as an LCD flat panel display.It is also possible to provide, in the case of rear images to projectthe instrumentation such as a speedometer reading temporarily overlaidon the displayed image 2092. For maximal image visibility, one can justproject small instruments (e.g. a digital speedometer number such as2096) on the image in an overlaid manner, perhaps in color for easiervisibility.

It is further noted that if one has the functions of the right sidemirror displayed with greater clarity and blind spot elimination on theRTD screen, this means that no adjustment is needed for this mirror. Ifone then makes the left side mirror 2095 a bit convex (as all right sideones now are) then this mirror too will allow a broader field to beseen, and perhaps require no adjustment for different drivers as well.The lack of adjustment has two big advantages. It saves cost, and itavoids the common problem of someone driving off without effectingmirror adjustment (And thus not being able to see properly).

Another aspect is that the display of rear vision on the RTD screen (orfor that matter another screen, for example an LCD type directly aheadof the steering wheel where the instrument cluster is in most carstoday) can be automatically as well as manually controlled. As notedabove, when putting the car in reverse, a rear view image can beshown—in the simplest case from a camera in the middle of the car facingrearward, preferably facing down at an angle to the horizontal so as tosee objects near the bumper on the ground. Provision of this featurewould materially aid in preventing deaths of small children who arebacked over by their parents in their own driveways. It is myunderstanding that over 2000 such deaths occur in the USA each year.Here again, the fact that the RTD allows the biggest possible display onthe instrument panel is a material aid in assisting a driver, forexample in a hurry to get to work, or pick up another child, in seeingwhat danger lies behind. This is especially valuable in Minivans or SUVSwith poor intrinsic rear visibility.

Another example of automatically changing the display is when one is inmotion, and one swerves the vehicle, for example to pass another car. Inthis case a motion sensor can detect this action and cause the displayto provide a right side mirror view, which completely makes visible theright side blind spot. Or it could display the center view. Or on theRTD big screen it could display both, one next to the other (At a priceof reduced size for each—but still bigger than anything displayedtoday).

FIGS. 16 and 17 illustrate embodiments for control of sensing andprojection, and image processing steps, including methods fordetermining finger touch and physical detail location also in thepresence of significant and variant background illumination.

There are basically two issues. First is to see the correct data withthe camera or other detector, in the presence of what can be strongbackground coming from inside the passenger compartment. This situationis discussed further in FIG. 8 below.

The second is to identify from this data the physical detail position orfinger location, or the movement of either. For the physical detailsthis can be done using relatively simple machine vision processingalgorithms, such as image subtraction, blob analysis, edge transformsand the like. For the physical details this is made much easier as theknob/slider or switch datum's can be chosen to be of good or excellentcontrast, and further can be made in easily recognized shapes, or colors(if colored light source is used). In addition they lie in positions onthe screen known apriori to the system, such that one can program thecomputer vision system to look for the desired characteristic(s) in thatlocation. For example in a certain annular ring, one would know that oneneeded to see three targets on a knob, or alternatively one radialrectangular target on a knob (two of the many possibilities, illustratedin FIG. 10).

In the case of the fingers it is more complex and this is the subject ofseveral figures below. But in the simplest case, and in the absence ofstrong background, one again is just looking for a round or oblongshaped blob in a certain range of sizes (typically just defined as anpixel area of blob) represented by light from a projector or auxiliarysource such as an LED reflected from a finger in contact with thescreen. The reflection from flesh in contact with the screen works wellin this way. I have found too that persons of all races on their fingertips have relatively light colored indications, and that theseindications become more light colored as one presses harder, effectivelyit appears forcing the blood away from the finger tip in contact withthe screen and making the indication larger on the screen due to theincreased surface area and more distinct due the lightening effect.

Using IR LED sources operating at a wavelength of 940 nm I have foundtoo that gloves, even many dark colored or black gloves can also beseen.

As pointed out elsewhere and in co-pending cases it may be useful tosubtract the background with or without the illumination source on fromthe instant data. Because this adds cycle time and some transientbackground radiation may exist, a higher frame rate than 30 frames persecond typical of TV cameras is desirable for best results. This can beachieved locally with ease (e.g. in the region of a knob) using a pixeladdressing CMOS camera for example, which can easily provide data to thecomputer to allow it to do several hundred alternate backgroundsubtracts per second. One generally only need scan the region such as anannular ring on the back of the knob where the targets travel around forexample, or a linear strip for the position of a slider datum, or aprojected icon location where touch is desired (noting that unlike thephysical devices whose general positions are fixed, these touch iconscan be varied programmably in their location, in which case the scanregion of the camera needs to be varied to match.

For the sensing of finger locations, generally speaking the touch can beanywhere allowed by the projection program (indicating to the personwhere to touch) or alternatively in areas preprinted on the screen or onan overlay placed on the screen. These latter two alternatives are lessgeneric and less likely to be used.

Besides the sensing of touch location in a specific location of an iconbox, more generally it may be desired to sense a random gesture such assliding ones finger along a line of action, possibly guided by an indentor raised ridge on the screen. For the generic case, one must be lookinganywhere a touch can be registered and deciphering images obtained. Thiscan be either by directly looking at fingers, or alternatively, bylooking at something the finger does to cause variation, either in theintensity of reflected light, or in the position shape or color forexample, of imaged datum's.

For the direct viewing case, there are several possibilities. First onecan look for the characteristic shadow produced by the finger whenilluminated from behind, and/or the characteristic round or somewhatround blob forming a closed polygon when illuminated from the projectoror an independent light source such as a LED. This characteristic can beassumed, or in some cases taught, by just asking the driver to touch thescreen in his unusual manner in a certain areas, and memorizing thesignature. This too can act as a theft prevention mode too by checkingthis each time the car is started.

One can also train a computer based camera system, for example at thefactory, said system having a neural net with different sized driversfingers and colors of fingers, so that it recognizes all reasonablypossible variants. Such training as well could be for all possiblepositions of knobs sliders and so forth as well, and in the case ofdifferent lighting.

The knob targets are typically bright on a black background, but theycould be reversed. In this way (dark on bright background) they wouldnot be confused by stray light brightness zones caused by large sunlightloads, for example in FIG. 1 b, the three targets would be black on awhite or silver annular knob background, which could in some cases ifdesired be a retro reflective background for added contrast.

It should be noted that the system can be calibrated for a particularuser, or in general. Images taken of either a standard finger or aparticular users finger on different known locations (e.g. on projectedicon boxes) can be stored and their characteristics analyzed forcomparison to future images for example. When a match occurs, thecondition matched is determined to have occurred. To maximize the valueof this in a vehicular application, images should be taken under variantlight conditions in the passenger compartment as well. For example onesindex finger while seated in the driver's seat can be placed on aparticular icon box in the case of bright sun, hazy sun, overcast andnighttime conditions. Comparisons can be made on image brightness,contrast, shape, color, size, direction, or any other desired variable.

In a vehicle application, there is a particularly large variation inambient lighting conditions in the passenger compartment to which thescreen of the invention interfaces. This variation ranges from deadblack at night, with no lights on in the car or in the vicinity, tobright sun pouring down thru the windshield, or a sunroof, directly onthe screen. This situation can also occur with sun coming in from theside at certain times.

The question then is, what does it take to operate over this range? Andsecondarily for the bright direct sun case, is it required to sooperate, since such lighting will wash out virtually any informationdisplayed anyway, as it does today on displays which are in the open(and not hooded as most instrument clusters are for this reason).

I believe it is essential that the unit operate in all cases but thewashout one, but even then I feel it should sense the physical detailssuch as knobs, which then could be used for critical items to whichwashout of data was not an issue. In some cases this could requireprinting of characters on the screen (or an overlay) in addition ofprojected characters if it was necessary to always read something. Inother cases the system optionally could, upon sensing via the camera ofa super bright condition in the region of a certain knob (or the wholescreen) switch over to a voice description of knob position for exampleif the actual the projected knob lettering could not be seen.

In work to date, the invention in all embodiments has functioned wellfor sensing at night or in modest daylight conditions. And it hasfunctioned in all cases for the sensing of physical details. This islargely because the datum's on the knobs for example, are shadowed bythe knob itself.

FIG. 16 illustrates machine vision sensing of physical control details,and presents a particular example of a rocker switch.

The sensing of target datum's (either of an artificial feature, such asa retroreflector or white dot, or a natural feature) of physical detailssuch as knobs and sliders which move generally in the local plane of thescreen and more or less perpendicular to the optical axis of the camerais relatively simple. They move in linear or rotational motion, whichcan be determined from the two-dimensional camera image with outdifficulty, since the targets of whatever type or shape, can be of goodcontrast (extremely so in the case of a retroreflector) and are in knowngeneral locations on the screen (i.e. in the region where the knob issituated). And, importantly, the physical datum, being attached to thescreen, shadows the camera image of the screen over the region of thedetail where the targets are from ambient light on the user side, suchas sunlight in the passenger compartment. In other words, the lightreturning from the knob region is generally the same whether operationis in day or night, even though the region around the knob may be wildlydifferent in its background illumination.

Processing of data from knobs and sliders moving in the nominal xy planeof the screen perpendicular to the camera axis is typically done byanalyzing the camera image for the presence of “blobs” of contiguouslylit pixels, and determining the location of the blob or blobs in theregion of the physical detail in question, in the zone (also called aRegion of interest) where they can appear while ignoring imageinformation outside this zone. The blob size and shape are known whichcan add further information to determining the correctness of a specificblob if desired to be used in calculating knob rotational position orslider lineal position. Suitable blob processing is found in almost allimaging libraries, such as MIL, by Matrox, or Sherlock, by Coreco, bothcompanies being located in Montreal, Canada. To eliminate passengercompartment background if any, a reading can be taken with the lightsource (projector or LED say) on, versus source off and the twosubtracted. This operation too is in nearly all imaging libraries. Wehave found these steps to be very reliable in tests to date.

Somewhat more difficult is the question posed by physical details whosemovement is primarily or entirely in the z-axis, perpendicular to thelocal screen plane, and more or less along the camera axis. This is thethird dimension as it were, and is not typically able to be sensed withan ordinary camera arrangement.

The principal physical detail in control systems in this category isswitches, which are not of the sliding type (which can be treated assimple two or three position version of sliders like shown in FIG. 10 bfor example). I have found two ways to surmount this problem, for thecase of rocker switches and pushbutton switches respectively, which arenow described.

Consider FIG. 16 which is not to scale in so far as the relative size ofthe switch to the camera and which illustrates a two position rockertype switch 1600 having a rotational axis 1601 which might be pinnedalong the axis to hold the switch mechanism to housing 1605. When theswitch is in a Position I as shown, the reflector 1610 is close to andsubstantially parallel with the screen surface 1615. In this manner amaximal amount of light from LED source 1620 (similar to that of FIG.10) is reflected back to camera 1621. Conversely, in Position II, thereflector 1625 on the opposite side of the teeter totter like rockerswitch is, in the first position, spaced away from the screen a distanced as shown, and at an angle, for example 30 degrees. I have found thismakes the image 1630 (in the field 1622 of camera 1621) of reflector1610 bright, and of significant blob width, while image 1631 ofreflector 1625 is conversely smaller in width and less bright. Theseeffects are presumably due to the angulation of the mirrors and themirrors away from the dispersive elements of the screen. In some teststhe image 1631 has been non-existent when threshold levels used todigitize the image are set high enough.

As one can imagine, when the rocker is in position 2, the situation isreversed, and it is image 1631, which is bright and big, and 1631 whichis comparatively dark. The clear difference in these images in these twoconditions, allows one to easily discern which position the rockerswitch is in.

If the switch has an in between neutral position, then the images aremore or less equal in size and brightness, being less than in the onecondition, but more than the other, and this Neutral condition can alsobe determined.

A three position switch may be constructed in a similar manner, wherethe two signals from reflectors 1610 and 1625 are similar, the switch isin the in between or neutral position. Such switches are common for usein automobile instrument panels for mirror adjustment radio functionsand seat functions, which have timed motor or other travels, the time ina given direction derived from the time that directions' switch functionis held down.

If desired a third reflector 1640 (dotted lines) in the neutral positioncan be added to cause a maximal reflection from the middle portion inthis condition.

A rocker switch like the above can be constructed wherein the centralportion in the area not containing the reflectors can be transparentsuch that projected light on the screen can be projected either throughthe screen (if the diffusing portion of the screen is removed, or thescreen slotted in the region desired) and onto a scattering surface suchas 1650 on the top of the rocker switch and so to the users eye, in themanner of knob 1545 or slider 1550. Alternatively, if the screen isdiffusive, data projected on the screen can be seen through the switch,albeit with some obscuration at angles off the screen normal at theswitch location.

It is noted that a two or three position slider type switch can be builtusing the slider teachings of FIG. 10.

The operation of this rocker switch is based primarily on the muchhigher intensity of light reflected from a reflector near and parallelto the screen, and increase in width of the reflector in the cameraimage. A thresholded image for example, of the two reflector states(parallel and close to the screen, versus angled away, with largerdistance from the screen) results in a significantly larger width seenfor the reflector near and more or less parallel the screen (and thusperpendicular to the camera axis). The effect is due to synergisticcombination of increased frontal area presented by the reflector to thecamera, the reduction in diffusion from the screen for objects close tothe screen and the affect of angulation of a bright reflector indirecting returned reflected light away from the light source and cameraaxis which are in most cases relatively parallel. Other physical detailsand other switches than rocker types can also make use of one or more ofthese effects. See for example FIG. 22.

It should be noted that the computer based machine vision system can beprogrammed to learn from the data entered by the user, the desiredsettings for control and display purposes. For example, the user canturn the knobs or move the slider of FIG. 10 to a particular desiredsetting, for example of temperature and can instruct the computer viavoice commands (via voice recognition system not shown for claritydescribed in copending applications) or other wise enter a desire thatthe knob in a certain setting correspond to that temperature condition.This cannot be done with manual temperature control, since the knobalways sets the same actuator condition when it is in the samerotational position.

The system can also learn from images returned from the screen, what thenorm for the system is at that time. For example, if the last 100 images(which could be acquired only over 2-5 seconds say) have all had theknob targets within a certain position and range of reflection intensityvalues and/or blob size or shape values, and the next test image showsthem in a different position, with a possible increased in size in agiven rotational direction, one can use this information to predict thatthe knob is being moved in that direction, which causes a blur to occurin the target data. This blurred data will typically be reduced inintensity at any one point from the previous norm.

In work to date, the invention in all embodiments has functioned wellfor sensing a night or in modest daylight conditions. And it hasfunctioned in all cases for the sensing of physical details. This islargely because the datum's on the knobs for example, are shadowed bythe knob itself.

But what about the fingers in daylight conditions, particularly withvariant sunlight on the screen? Unlike the situation with targets on theback of knobs, for example, in the touch sensing use of the invention,the light reaching the camera (or other electro-optical sensor if used)is not shielded from sunlight or other ambient light in the passengercompartment or other region where the user such as a driver is located.

In a vehicle application, there is a particularly large variation inambient lighting conditions in the passenger compartment to which thescreen of the invention interfaces. This variation ranges from deadblack at night, with no lights on in the car or in the vicinity, tobright sun pouring down thru the windshield, or a sunroof, directly onthe screen. This situation can also occur with sun coming in from theside at certain times.

In addition, the background from whatever source is not constant andvaries dynamically as the car drives down the road, under overpasses,past trees, etc. And the light on the screen varies in many cases acrossthe face of the screen due to shadows caused by various members of thevehicle or its surroundings, or the passengers within.

The question then is, what does it take to operate over this range? Andsecondarily for the bright direct sun case, is it required to sooperate, since such lighting will wash out virtually any informationdisplayed anyway, as it does today on displays which are in the open(and not hooded as most instrument clusters are for this reason).

I believe it is essential that the unit operate in all cases but thewashout one, but even then I feel it should sense the physical detailssuch as knobs, which then could be used for critical items to whichwashout of data was not an issue. In some cases this could requireprinting of characters on the screen (or an overlay) in addition ofprojected characters if it was necessary to always read something.In-other cases the system optionally could, upon sensing via the cameraof a super bright condition in the region of a certain knob (or thewhole screen) switch over to a voice description of knob position forexample if the actual the projected knob lettering could not be seen.

In general, direct bright sun can overpower the effect of any lightsource with in the unit. One answer to this is singularly or incombination to:

Use the peculiar shadow effect of the finger contact area when backilluminated.

Use the peculiar bright effect of finger contact when front illuminatedand the fact that the shadow and front illuminated contact areas aresubstantially the same.

Use the shadow outline of the finger, especially when the finger isclose to the screen, and edge contrast of the shadowed finger ishighest.

Use the time sequential indication of finger touch images as one pressesinto the screen

Use specialized cameras or other detectors whose integration time orother sensitivity can accommodate the very wide dynamic intensity rangerequired and the rapid changes in light intensity at different portionsof the screen at different times.

Use a deflection based system which does not depend on light intensityfor the answer,

Use another form of touch screen entirely, an appendage so to speak.This is always an option but is not “Free” like the optical ones(assuming the optical is used for knobs and such), and thus is notappealing for high volume use. A high-grade touch screen of thecapacitive field type can add $100 in volume.

In the case of touch icon box actuation, we know the regions of interestwhere to look for touch apriori. In this case, we can:

Modify camera function locally to optimize exposure for each regionindependently. This can be done using programmable regions of interestprocessing for example, where each region has its own criteria, whichcan be set from its immediate surroundings. It should be noted this canbe done in a general way, even if we don't know where to look a priori.One can if desired utilize a logarithmic response, or lin-log responseCMOS or other camera (a FUGA brand, or SMALL brand) for this purpose,which is not bloomed or otherwise made unreliable, or inoperable bymassive sun load.

I have found that by comparing the finger with the projection light on,to the projection light off, but shadowed, that a good answer can befound in all cases tested to date. I have also found that just lookingat the finger in the high background condition, without reliance on theprojection light at all (From auxiliary LED source or the dataprojector) can also be used. This has been treated in co-pendingapplications, but consider FIG. 17 a (, where finger 2200 is touchingscreen 2201 of the invention in a typical manner indicative of a push ofa button, such as virtual radio presets. The camera 2220 observes theback side of the screen, and the image 2260 obtained is processed bycomputer 2250. In this case, the finger is flattened a bit at the end2205 pressed by the person into contact with the screen, and thisflattened area effectively shadows the sun light 2210, even though otherportions of the screen are extremely bright. As a result, shadow region2215 in the camera image 2220 can be sensed and compared to the brightregion 2225 around it. This has been found to work for persons of bothblack and white races (and presumably other races as well), since thefingers on their tips are light colored, and the portion in contact withthe screen expands (and changes shape to axially align with your finger)as you press it into the screen, which I believe is due to blood beingpressed out of your finger.

For a gray background or hazy sun day much the same occurs. For example,In one test run with gray background, the width of the middle finger tipcontact in touch with the screen pushing in and viewed only withbackground light (projection off) was 42 pixels, with a black level of20, where light level of radiation near the finger coming through the3/16 inch thick 3M vikuiti beaded screen was 160. With the finger ½ inchoff the surface of the screen, the black area was 33 (rather than 42 incontact) pixels wide, and with a considerably higher “black” level of 35units. Thus degree of black and its size are both changed when objectssuch as a finger are not in contact with the screen, thus allowing thisto discriminate. The area (as opposed to just width) of “black” in acontinuous closed “blob” changes even more and is unique relative to allother candidate images considered to date.

The computer in the simplest case is used just to determine the area ofblob (i.e. a pixel count) above a detector voltage related threshold setfor finger touch to operate in this mode in order to determine whichicon if any has been touched.

When dynamic subtraction of frames with LED powers on versus off isundertaken, the subtracted images are those of first the off screenfinger position, to the on screen finger condition, if the approach isrelatively slow enough such that two frames can be taken in the regionof interest in question. can be compared to the projector front lightedfinger condition, when subtracted for example

In the case where we know where the shadow can be if it is to be used tomake selections (E.g. on a projected preset), we can just look in thoseregions (e.g. 2221 and 2222 in image 2260), and if we have sensed abright sun condition for example by looking at the sum of camera pixelsin the image, if a shadow (i.e. a region of dark in a sea of bright)roughly round or somewhat oblong is there, like 2215, then one canassume that's a finger and determine if it is touching the buttonlocation in question. In this case it is determined that it is touchingin the region of projected button 2221. Shape and area can be usefullycombined into one algorithm if desired.

The above data indicates one can build a touch function based on themuch larger image from a finger tip pressed into the screen, to furtherinclude if desired, shape, and the change in size and shape as someonefirst touches, to final touch. If one scans fast enough (e.g. 500 scansper sec say) to catch the difference it is a good indicator of someonepurposely in contact with the screen at the position detected. Considerfor example FIG. 17 b. This illustrates the image 2270 taken wherein thefinger first touches the screen 2201, and the image 2271 taken afractional second later when the screen has been pressed by the finger,to the heavy press condition indicated by image 2272 where the fingerhas been pushed enough to be bent at the last joint to provide a longercontact area (and thus bigger image area) to the camera. The fraction ofa second could be still shorter if the person pressed his finger rapidlyinto the screen, which is often the case. In this instance the timedelay could be under 10 milliseconds. Pixel addressing cameras, ifrequired, can be used to catch such rapidly changing data. It should benoted that while most measurements could be made on the inward push,that is with the larger contact area being determined to be after thelesser, one could also measure this function on withdrawal of thefinger, or on a relaxing thereof. For example, one could first give abig finger push, and then relax it in order to purposely cue the system.In this case one might look not a two, but three or more subsequentimages. The cue could for example, be when one determines that thecondition small to large to small (or lesser say) has occurred.

It would appear that since this is always the case, it is a good way tosense the presence of a touch and not some stray finger or object nearbut not touching the screen. And stray objects in contact with thescreen will not in general exhibit this behavior either. However at thisjuncture there still are some issues. For example, if a person has abandage on his finger tip this does not work in such a predictablefashion, though returned signal levels and the extent of the width arehigher than the normal finger tip case, for all tested types ofbandaids.

In some cases it may be desirable to program the computer vision systemto learn the characteristics of a persons finger touch, either in thesize at a given reflectance or shadow level, shape, rate of change ofsize or shape, or color.

For example, while people of different races all seem to have lightcolored finger tips, there is a degree of difference. The inventioncomprehends determining this difference and adjusting the detectioncriteria accordingly. For example, a color camera can be used, and thecolor of reflection determined, and then used in a look up table ofcriteria values. This may in many cases be possible just with amonochrome camera to sense gray shades.

In a similar manner people have different sized fingers, and the cameraused can determine the average size, and use it in subsequent analyses.Some people may have a characteristic way in which they touch thescreen, also from a characteristic direction (often dependent on theirsize). All of these determinations, color/shade, touch characteristicand size can be determined ideally in a teach mode, for example onstarting the car (where the touch screen is in a car). Or they can bedetermined by monitoring the operation of the device in normal use.

Another way to sense finger touch location in the presence of backgroundlight in the passenger compartment is to sense and determine thelocation of the edges of the shadowed finger, and use the edge shape topredict where the finger is. This can make a prediction of location ofthe tip of the finger, even without the hard contact needed for theblack shadow condition above. In this case with the edges off thescreen, the finger shadow is grayer but still very distinguishable as afinger. This is also because the typical car of today has nobody in thefront middle passenger position, and the driver's finger has to approachthe screen from a range of known angles, thus the range of shadows inthis manner is relatively confined. However, the variability of this isstill a problem

It should be noted that when a specific shadow condition is indicativeof a finger in one instance, and a bright spot is indicative in another,then one can effectively solve for both, and if either is present, onecan determine finger presence. And certainly if both are in the sameplace (this can occur when the finger reflects projected light from theregion being shadowed due to finger contact, but where the backgroundlight is intense enough to shadow the remaining part of the fingeraround this zone, which does not reflect sufficiently as is not incontact.

A shadow can be caused on the screen by something other than a finger,so it is usually important to look for shadows that have finger likeshape and/or reflection characteristics. This also includes the unusualeffects around the edge of the finger when strongly illuminated frombehind, which creates a gray boundary apparently due to light leakagearound the finger and through the skin at the edge of the finger.

It is also or additionally possible to determine the general outline ofthis gray region and predict where the finger tip is. A Sobel transformof the image gives the outline in many cases of the total fingerextension, particularly when the projection device (E.g. LEDS) is turnedoff such that no projected light returns from the finger. This techniquecan act as a check on a finger location determined from the black shadowindication or the projected light reflection or the comparison of thosetwo.

Another method is to compare touch at different locations. For example,assume there are 5 radio buttons more or less in the same region of thescreen. It is known logically that only one of the 5 will be touched andthe other 4 purposely not touched. By cross comparison of light from thearea of the buttons (no matter on what principle is used) one can findthe one (touched) whose signal that does not correlate with the others(untouched).

Another method is to look for movement due to the touch—like using onesfinger as a slider, moving across the screen. This is more difficult asa tracking function is required. But if one takes “N” readings of data,one can determine a trend in the data (e.g. movement from right to lefton the screen). In many instances, even if a particularly reading cannotbe obtained, the function can be satisfactorily provided to the user(e.g. heat increased).

It should be noted too that the reflectors on the knobs/sliders switchesif used can be retro reflecting corner cubes, or scotchlight material oralternatively diffuse reflective material, to suit the characteristicsof lighting used to illuminate them.

To recap, for bright sun conditions, knobs and other physical devicescan typically be constructed in such a way that their very shape andlocation shadows light from the sun or other sources in the passengercompartment. Thus for those items, the projected light (from dataprojector or auxiliary source) is what is used to sense, in either dayor night condition.

For the case of fingers sensed by machine vision processing of directcamera images, then for sunlit conditions, it is useful to look for theblack shadow of the contacted finger and compare that to the projectedreflection image at the same location—which is thus shadowed. Thisanswer can be further compared to the finger edge outline condition,which if present confirms the finger location. We note however, thatsometimes other fingers can also be seen under such shadow conditions,so the edge outline case may not by itself be satisfactory. And sincethe sun can be at an oblique angle to the screen, the finger edges beingaway from the screen, cast a shadow which is displaced from the darkshadow of the tip, and if the finger shadow edges (which are often grayexcept at their innermost portions where the light cant leak through thefinger or diffract around it) are used for finger tip prediction, thisdisplacement must be taken into account.

It should also be noted that for extreme sun conditions, when the screenwashes out at least in ones ability to view data projected on itsatisfactorily, that the invention comprehends sensing this condition,and increasing the projection or other display brightness or contrast.In addition, the display can change color, even to the point ofswitching to a negative image of what was previously displayed, if thataids in distinguishing data in sunlit conditions.

This change in brightness, contrast or color can also be performedselectively in those regions washed out, leaving the others unaltered,or not as much changed, to leave a degree of continuity with previousinformation. This is also true because in many cases the sun problem isfleeting, and adequate display conditions are restored after a shortwhile.

The invention contemplates that one can take a measurement of thebackground condition on the screen with no light projected if desired,and choose the right algorithm for that condition. Or one can run allthe algorithms, and perform a test to see if any one predicts a fingerbeing on a known point where a touch could occur, and generally speakingpredict that touch result if any one predicts it (assuming allalgorithms have a minimum of false accepts). For example, if radiobuttons are projected as the only icons of the moment projected, onejust tests the light situation at the icons in questions to determine ifa touch has occurred,

A method of discriminating against background noise caused by extraneouslight sources is to use a monochromatic wavelength of illumination, suchas an IR LED or laser and filter the return to the camera. With the LEDsources of choice this can by itself discriminate against mostconditions other than direct sun. A further method is to modulate thelight source at a high frequency and demodulate the detection. With CMOSand other such TV cameras this can be achieved to a degree byelectronically shuttering the camera, leaving it open, only whenillumination light (e.g. from an IR LED) is projected

FIG. 18 illustrates a camera in a vehicle used to input control signalsto an entertainment system or other device. As shown in FIG. 18 a camera2360 connected to computer 2301 is located in the headliner or overheadhousing of a vehicle roof 2361 and positioned so as to observe a regionof one or more of the rear seats where passengers, often children areseated, and presumably buckled in.

To operate a camera, one generally needs IR LED or other light sourcesto illuminate the areas to be sensed when daylight conditions or othersuitable lighting is not present. This can be easily provided bylocating such sources typically in the headliner, for example eveninside the housings of normal lighting of the vehicle. For example, inan overhead or side mounted dome light housing.

The use of such a camera type application has several appealing aspects.First it can look at different data, even simultaneously, such asphysical switches parts of persons for example. This can be used todetect for example gestures of passengers made with their fingers,hands, head or other portions of their body, or with objects held intheir hands.

The location of a person's body portion or other datum location can bedetermined relative to a previously determined position, or absolutelyrelative the cameras image field. Or as is often desirable, relative tosome other point or points nearby which are fixed, such as trim indicia2330 on seat back 2331. Even if the camera should move a small amount,as it might due to vibration, the relative data is available in suchmanner as to determine the desired input from the relative location.

The approach herein allows the vehicle manufacturer or aftermarketprovider to provide added functions to rear seat passengers, withoutrunning wires or power in the vehicle—a big saving in a crowded space.And the camera image may acquire (and the computer processing thereofsenses) a great number of points at once. This is useful for example ifone has a DVD player overhead, and you want each person in each of 4rear seats in a minivan to be able to operate it. Today, to do thissafely (that is with each person buckled up) one would have to have twoand possibly 4 control panels. All this costs a lot of money—andprecious space. With the invention of this embodiment a single camerafor example may acquire the data to do this. It is especially madeeasier if an easy to see artificial high contrast target or plurality oftargets is used, which to make it fun, could be on a special glove orhad the child or other person would wear—a “DVD Hat” as it were. Forexamples, see FIG. 9 of this application and the copending referencedapplications and referenced patents

For example a child 2350 in a rear car seat 2351 of a minivan 2352 whois belted in wants to change the show on the DVD player screen 2355overhead. Today he can not do this. But using camera 2360 in the roof2361 of the vehicle, the invention allows the position of his hand 2365,or a movement thereof to be determined, which in turn can be used tocontrol the DVD player to switch scenes, discs, or whatever.Alternatively, the system can be programmed to effect such a change whenhe nods his head for example. This also has value for disabled personsriding in wheelchairs in vehicles for example.

The invention can be used as well for home control applications, forexample of ones range, microwave, fridge, washer, dryer, stereo, TV etc.This desirably shares economies of scale with the automotiveapplication, as well as potentially its control layout which allows easeof operation of both car and home, while both are aided becauseknowledge of its use is also shared with historic devices, particularlywashers, dryers, and ranges almost all of which have knob based controlpanels.

The screen of the invention too can show TV programs, especially nicefor a control mounted in the Kitchen as it likely would be. With alens/mirror change a projector version of the invention can even bereconfigured to project large screen TV images on a wall of an adjacentfamily room for example.

The video display can also serve to see live video of baby's room orfront door (assuming cameras are placed there and properly interfaced bywireless or other means), access the internet (also using the computerin the invention, see general purpose discussion below), wireless videofeeds from cell phones etc.

The display of a baby room, a front door porch, swimming pool or otherimportant location can be in a window of the whole display (like picturein picture) if desired.

Consider FIG. 19 which illustrates a wall mounted RTD 2400 ofscreen/control surface size 53 cm×90 cm roughly based on an existingSamsung model 4367w 43 inch diagonal DLP projection HDTV. In side the TVhousing, A TV camera and wide angle optics of the invention has beenfurther incorporated with the device to allow RTD functions to beperformed when the screen is not being used for TV Pictures. A computernot shown takes in data from the various touch or physical detailfunctions, and controls the system, the projection and the input/outputs2412, 2413 and 2415 to representative appliances such as stereo systemdishwasher and stove. Other functions can be controlled as well,including virtually everything in the home if connected via wireless orconventional I/O devices.

As has been pointed out the knobs 2430 and 2431 can be of the familiarradio motif and they may be, for example, along the sides in region2435, or bottom region 2436 as shown, in which case the projected screendiagonal 2440 in HDTV 16:9 format is somewhat less than the original 43inch size. Note that the person in the kitchen watching the screen canimmediately act on the data seen. For example baby's room can beimmediately zoomed in just by touching the picture, which finger touchis detected by the camera of the invention and used by computer tocontrol the display and/or perform some other action, such as turning ona microphone in baby's room for example which can be heard in thekitchen via the TV sound system.

The two knobs maintain the familiar metaphor of the radio, and cancontrol any appliance function, using in addition virtual touch or evenadded physical knobs switches or sliders.

While shown on the wall of the kitchen other locations may also be ofinterest. Intercoms throughout the whole house can be connected usingunits of this type, either wired or wireless. Such units would besmaller typically, and perhaps built using LED based projectors. In thebathroom the unit may be used to control plumbing functions. And wheredata projection embodiments are employed, with information gatheredwithout contact, the actual control surface interacted with by the userhas no electrical wiring, aiding safety in such a situation.

Even the appliances themselves can be built with such units if desired,and it is noted that the surfaces of stoves, washers and other equipmentcan become a control surface if desired using the invention, especiallysince the projector unit can be remote from the surface, as can thesensing unit. This is not shared with any other method of control.

The projected display of the RTD may also be redirected via a mirror orother optical element to display on a different surface, perhaps at ahigher magnification. This could be useful for diverting a kitchendisplay temporarily to display on a wall of an adjacent family room, atlittle added cost.

It should be noted that LED sources could be utilized to augment anormal white light projector. For example, they can be used as a back upto a white light bulb, so that in the case of bulb failure, the LED orLEDs can be used to provide usable screen illumination if need be. TheLED can be on all the time as a supplemental source, or energized whenbulb burn out is detected. And it may not be necessary in this case tohave all colours displayed, thus LEDs with particularly powerful andvisible wavelengths may be used, without regard for having a beautifulwhite balance. To a degree this is true in all cases, if one does notwish to represent true color images on the screen. The later isdesirable, but not needed for control or other vehicle operationalpurposes.

Another method of continuing operation in case of bulb failure iscontrol the projector to illuminate only key portions of the RTD screenwith a backup LED or LEDs. This allows the LED power to illuminatesmaller areas, resulting in higher power density in the regionilluminated.

Finally, another example is the case of an RTD control using virtualcontrols on the touch screen portion, and physical controls (knobs,dials, sliders, switches, any or all) on another portion (which also mayhave touch capability too). Typically the virtual portion would be thetop portion, the physical the lower, but not necessarily. The reason forthis would be to put the expansive image portion capable of providingbackup and other images in the line of sight of the driver. This portionwould not be cluttered with physical devices, generally speaking. Andkey controls could be a bit lower and out of main the sunlight load (seebelow). In some sloping instrument panels, the region at the top mayslope away from the driver and be hard to reach as well, again arguingfor controls to be lower down.

It is desirable that the most critical controls be physical, since theyare easiest for people to understand today, and importantly, they can beeasily grasped and worked, even if the total control space is brightlyilluminated by sunlight which can tend to wipe out both the displayedimage and cause potential trouble for some kinds of touch sensing. Onecan also use the sensed data from the camera (or other electro-opticalsensor of controls and fingers) of the invention to control theillumination power to increase it where sunlight is tending to wash thedisplay out. In some cases this could mean changing colors of thedisplay as well in order to produce colors such as green, which are morereadily viewable by the person, assuming that the projector itself canproduce green as efficiently as red, for example. One would particularlybe interested in making the display bright in critical areas around keyfunctions too. In is not necessary on a large type display having videoimage areas to necessarily increase all areas at once, and thus in somecases such as scanned laser projectors such as FIG. 6 above, one wouldthen scan for example only the key areas, but scan them more often,effectively increasing the duty cycle for those regions and thus theperceived light in them.

Where the computer used in the invention for image processing anddisplay is a general purpose processor (e.g. Intel Pentium 4 based) andsoftware (such as a Microsoft Windows), it is possible for the computerto be used for general use in the home, or in the car when stopped, andthe system is easily integrated with other optional hardware or softwarefrom others. And because the machine vision processing is included tosolve for knob or finger location, it is possible to use the imageprocessing function to solve for other events as well. This isespecially true, since the demands for control per se using turning ofphysical details or finger touch are relatively infrequent.

For example, it can be used to monitor baby position, in the car or inthe home. It can be used for a variety of vehicular tasks such as lanefollowing, observation of cars on the right or left and their position,and so forth. All this is possible as the vision is essentially free, ifone has it there anyway and provides it in general purpose form.

In this situation it is desirable to prioritize the tasks to beperformed, giving priority to acting on the drivers commands, and safetyissues exterior to the vehicle, and least priority to those related torelatively low priority acts such as monitoring persons in the vehicle.One such optional machine vision processing use mentioned in previousapplications has been for backing up. A task, which can have highpriority, as it is stressful, but only, lasts a short while. It isunlikely any other control functions are required while doing this. Thevision processor can find the edges of vehicles or other objectspotentially in the way, and particularly where stereoscopic cameras areemployed, determine in real time the distances to them as an aid to thedriver. This is much more data than possible with simple ultrasonicsensors used for backing warnings today, and in addition can show on thevideo display, where the problem is. Conversely, as also notedpreviously, the driver can touch the problem portion of the image hesees on his backing up view displayed and the camera and visionprocessing portion of the invention can continually monitor thatlocation. Or cause a digital zoom to show more of it.

Machine vision processing can also monitor switch locations of controlsin the front or back seat areas if cameras are placed there forobserving same.

It is noted that the calibration of the screen using a digital matrixarray of photo detectors as the sensor, avoids analog calibration driftexperienced in many touch screen designs, while still allowing highresolution.

On another note, it has been estimated that 60% of the vehicles on thehighway have only the driver in them. It would thus be safe to say that80% or more have only the driver and the passenger in the right frontseat. The typical provision of the vents high in the center stack, inthe middle of the dash, is likely to provide the best air distributionto the 20% or less of the passengers in the rear seat, as well as freshair to the face of the driver and passenger, though this is alsoachievable with vents in other places. And these vents for the purposeof rear seat passengers could be even less required, given the trendtoward special rear compartment vents in cars having rear seats. (Todaynearly all higher-class vehicles have this now.)

So then is it necessary to have vents high in the center stack? They arethere to give best distribution at lowest cost, and to allow the driverand passenger to direct them on their face. But I feel they are alsothere because there is no really valuable thing to put in their place.In other words to make having an alternative arrangement valuable enoughto compensate for the relatively small disadvantage, or extra cost,entailed.

I feel that the invention changes this equation. The valuable thing forboth safety and convenience to provide a display, and especially aninteractive display, such as that of the invention, in the driver's bestline of sight high on the center stack/dash. The invention is notlimited to this arrangement, however it is thought that location of thevents to the sides, or to the bottom, or somewhere else entirely (e.g. auser controllable pop-up vent on the top of the dash) frees up this veryvaluable space. Or thin vents without a lot of area could be used evenin the center stack, with airflow possibly boosted by higher pressurefan motors.

It also should be noted that for a larger instrument panel display (e.g.12-15 inches diagonal, assuming a pure rectangular format, which itdoesn't have to be), only two technologies seem today to costeffectively apply—neither one being the conventional LCD Flat PanelDisplay used for automotive navigational displays and the like andgenerally 5-7 inch diagonal format. The first is rear projection ofdisplayed information on to a simple passive screen/control surface. Inthis case, a small low cost display chip so to speak with a large numberof pixels is magnified by projection optics to fill the screen, oralternatively one or more beams (of different colors) is swept rasterfashion by a simple xy mirror scanning device which itself may be asemiconductor or other chip (e.g. a Microvision company MEMS type). Bothtypes used for rear projection can use solid state light sources, suchas lasers or LEDs, particularly if a wide range of color fidelity is notrequired, the case in many control system applications using theinvention.

The second method thought to be economic in the future, will be Organiclight emitting diode displays (OLEDs), which may contain a large numberof low cost addressable emitting elements. Here again, we can expect toemploy this technology sooner if color fidelity is not needed. This canbe used many in the invention, but less easily.

It should be noted that for near term use in automobile instrumentpanels, full color presentation is not required (though admittedlynice). The same holds true for high pixel display resolution. Theinvention can use monochrome, two colors, three colors, or anycombination of colors including full renditions as the financialjustification of the application allows. This issue is particularly ofinterest as one considers ultra long lifetime solid state sources, whichtoday may not provide high grade color rendition.

The invention allows the commonly used controls, like the climatecontrol or radio to be utilized in a conventional manner, compliant withFMVSS 101. But the space is shared with other control functions. Inaddition, a large display is provided in addition, which serves as wellas an auxiliary control surface to have virtual controls.

While machine vision and electro-optical techniques have been shown todetermine control detail and/or finger position, other non-contacttechniques, while less preferable may be used such as inductive orcapacitive devices. It is possible to consider sensing methodscontacting the screen as well, but the elegance and interchangeabilityof the invention is diminished.

It also should be noted that while automotive applications have beenhighlighted, because of their need for tactile function, the inventionis usable for a multitude of such as point of sale devices, toInformation kiosks, to home automation and control functions, to factorycontrols, etc.

In many of the above embodiments, a TV camera and associated imageprocessing are used to determine both the rotational or xy position ofvarious physical devices such as knobs, and/or the position in xy of afinger touch.

In other applications and patents including those referenced above Ihave described a new type of instrument panel which uses optical imagesdisplayed on a screen in which control details such as knobs aremounted. In other cases the knobs have been mounted to an overlay infront of the screen. Display functions have typically been provided byrear projection, which has the further advantage of allowing theposition of knobs and other details or finger touch to be detected frombehind the screen, most desirably with a single optical system such as aTV camera. In some other embodiments, flat panel display technologiessuch as LCD screens have been illustrated, and in still furtherembodiments, display technologies such as OLED displays have been shownwhich allow a curved screen, desirable for automotive or other stylisticpurposes.

Disclosed now are some variants to the above invention, in which theknobs and physical control details are alternatively detected. In thefirst, these details are electro-optically sensed from the side, eitherin their portion which penetrates to the back of the screen, or bylooking through the screen (or overlay) from the side—implying a thickerscreen, but such is often the case in Automotive use anyway.

The second arrangement uses fine wires, or transparent conductors,provided on or in the screen or overlay to allow electrically basedsensing of knobs and other details. This is much more conventional andrequires one sensing device per detail. This is especially easy toimplement with the projection display, since the screen surface may beof plastic and the wires easily embedded in it, or conductors laminatedto it or whatever.

Both these new arrangements may be used with OLED displays, which arethought to be a desirable future benefit. OLED displays, like rearprojection ones can employ curved screens of stylistic value invehicles. The new arrangements may also be used, like those previous,with optical or other touch sensing methods which may be additionallyincorporated to make a complete instrument panel control system.

Both arrangements disclosed herein may be used with force feedback tothe person using the device, as has also been disclosed in my previousapplications.

FIG. 20 illustrates an alternative RTD arrangement with conventionallysensed knobs (or other physical details) using connections comprisingelectrical wire or fiber optic means. In this case the knob may belocated on an overlay placed in front of a display of any type, or maybe directly on the screen itself, particularly when a projection displayis used.

The first embodiment of this type, shown in FIG. 20 a uses aconventional knob 2500 mounted to an electronic sensor of position suchas a incremental optical encoder 2505 the encoder in turn is mounted toPlexiglas screen 2501 (for example of the type shown in FIG. 7) withadhesive or other suitable means. The encoder is sensed conventionally,using for example phase quadrature based readout electronics 2510connected to the encoder 2505 via cable 2515. In this particular case anannular encoder with a clear center region 2506 is illustrated, suchthat the knob (which may be transparent with a surface 2520 which can bea diffusing screen, for example of ground glass or 3M Vikuiti material)may be illuminated with information contained in light 2525 from asuitable projector (not shown).

Because the wires are typically unsightly, a trim strip 2530 of chrome,or black or some attractive color or finish may be attached to screen2501 by adhesive or other means to cover the wire from view bypassengers located on the knob side of the screen.

In a preferred embodiment, shown in FIG. 20 b the cable 2515 can be runin a channel 2540 in the screen, with the trim strip 2545 in this casefilling in the channel and flush with the surface of the screen asshown.

As an alternative to the wires shown, it is possible at extra cost touse transparent conductors to route electrical signals to and from theencoder and its readout electronics. These conductors may be depositedon the front or back of the screen member for example, or in anin-between laminated layers. Use of such conductors mitigates the needto use up space on the screen with trim strips. However such strips canbe useful stylistically and therefore not represent the waste thatotherwise might be the case.

It is also possible to route signals by fiber optic cable means so as todetect knob movement with all electronics remote to the knob. This hasan advantage in that screens can be interchanged without connection toelectronic devices. This is especially easy when incremental knobmovement is to be detected.

These alternative arrangements may be used with OLED displays which arethought to be a desirable future benefit. Especially since OLEDdisplays, like rear projection ones can employ curved screens ofstylistic value in vehicles. The new arrangements may also be used, likethose previous, with optical or other touch sensing methods which may beadditionally incorporated to make a complete instrument panel controlsystem.

FIG. 21 illustrates an alternative embodiment with knobs (or otherphysical details) electro-optically sensed from the side of thescreen/display surface, or an overlay thereon, and in some cases throughthe screen material or the overlay. As shown there are three knobs 2601and 2602 and 2603 which are rotatable and held by means not shown inscreen/control surface member 2600. Each knob has on its bottomcircumference, target datum's such as 2618 or 2616 which reflect light,in this case light from a LED light source for example 2620, whichreflection is sensed by a photo diode 2621. As the knob is rotated thephoto detector alternately sees light or not depending on whether thereflector is in position to send light back. By counting the number ofreflections the amount of knob movement can be determined from a givenstarting point.

As shown source 2620 projects through air, on the projector side of thescreen. But other two knobs in this case are shown to be viewed, bylight source detector combinations 2650 and 2651, thru the screenmaterial (such as lexan sheet, on which 3M Vikuiti dispersive beads suchas 2630 are used for rear projection 2635, or alternatively 2630 couldbe an OLED display for example) from the side, which screen material issufficiently transmissive of light at the wavelength used. This isgenerally the case with IR LED's at 880 nm for example. Absolute readingsystems with coded targets can be provided. For example 2618 as shown,has a second target close to the first, which identifies this particularlocation, for example, a knob home position.

FIG. 22 illustrates a pushbutton switch according to the invention. Inthis example a pushbutton 3100 slides up and down in housing 3105 and isopposed by a resilient member as known in the art, such that it is urgedwith no finger pressure applied to its outer most face 3110 to stick outfrom the screen 3120, and with finger pressure is moved inward towardthe screen, typically up to a fixed stop, for a two position switch asis commonly the case. In this one illustrative example, the resilientmember is a leaf spring 3130 which is in this example shiny, such thatit serves a second purpose—namely to reflect light from a light source3135 back to a camera 3140, in a manner similar to other reflectivedatum's discussed herein.

(The camera and light source are typically farther away than shown, andthe drawing is not to scale, with the switch represented much larger bycomparison for clarity.). In this case however, the reflective memberdistorts with compression by the force of the finger and becomes moreflat and thus reflective, as shown in the dotted lines 3131. Thedifference of the image field picked up by camera 3140 is pronounced interms of the width image having of a signal level above a certainthreshold Vt, as shown in the image field 3150 for the switch outwardfrom the screen state, and image field 3160 for that fully compressed(dotted lines). The difference in the two states can be used to set theon or off condition of the switch or some other state criteria. Theintensity threshold level Vt, and the width threshold such as w can beused to set the trigger point for the change in state. Where desired theswitch can be used for more than two states, since a plurality oftrigger points for a plurality of states can be set up, for example withdifferent w values. For this to be effective some mechanical feel isdesirable in the push button arrangement to indicate the differentstates, although the projector can be as in other embodiments, used tosignal a condition selected, such as TRACTION OFF, when the switch ispressed. And TRACTION ON when it is pressed again.

FIG. 23 illustrates a center stack configuration for vehicles that usesliders or knobs for direct manual actuation of temperature or airdistribution doors, or that are used to directly switch motor currents,such as for Fan motors. These types of controls are typically employedin lower cost vehicles for the HVAC functions, and most typically today,one sees three knobs for this purpose. Such vehicles also have, in aCenter stack section above or below the HVAC controls, an audio sectionwith radio, tape player CD or whatever. A third section if presentgenerally has auxiliary switches.

It is desirable to use the invention to combine the HVAC and Audiocontrols into one unit, which then frees up space on the instrumentpanel to accommodate a maximum display area. This display is largestparticularly if virtual controls are used for auxiliary functions forthe audio, HVAC and other controls, which virtual functions can beminimized or eliminated in favour of a large image displayed, for rearview, for watching DVDs when parked, or important video or telematicinformation from traffic sources or the like.

In the particular version shown a dual ring knob arrangement is used forthe two knobs, and a slider off the display at the bottom, with the datapertaining to its location and value displayed on the screen just above.It. This maintains the maximum free display area.

As shown, knob 3400 is mounted to screen 3410 in a manner similar tothose examples of FIG. 11. However in this case the center of knob 3400is attached to a lever 3415 which is used to pull or push an actuatingrod 3420 (or other suitable mechanical transmission device) used toactuate a temperature mixing door not shown, or other actuator to becontrolled by the knob. The rotational position of this knob can be seenby a camera as discussed in FIG. 10 for example, using datum 3421 on therear surface of the knob (dotted lines) and thus used to control thefunction and display information relating to its position, in this casetemperature related, such as the words HOT or COLD. The region on thescreen on which projection of data to the screen is interrupted by thelever is, for best visual aesthetic effect, either covered by a trimpiece, or not projected on (i.e. projection is dark in this region) soas to not illuminate the lever.

Two knobs may be collocated to save space. For example, also shown is asecond knob 3440 rotating around the first, 3400. This knob, which isnot connected mechanically to any actuator is only for electroniccontrolled functions in this example, and is sensed by the camera aswell, using datum's such as group of three datum's 3450, like 1533-1535in FIG. 10 a for example on its rear surface. This knob can be used thento operate an electronically variable function such as radio volume,using the computer to decode the camera signals, and convert theinformation into a radio volume related output such as a voltage, to anamplifier unit.

While discussion is made of only the left knobs, used for thetemperature door actuation and volume, the same holds true for the rightknobs which would typically be used for air distribution and radiotuning. Alternatively other functions could be enabled.

The slider shown is used to switch fan speeds by known electricalcontact means, with the camera unit of the invention sensing the sliderposition, and displaying data related thereto on the screen above theslider. In this case the camera is sensing datums of physical controlsboth on the screen (the knobs) and off (the slider handle). A portion ofthe slider generally need not protrude above the slider to overlap thescreen, since one can have a projected pointer indicate the position ofthe slider, and other projected information indicating the valueselected for example, such as fan speed of 3 shown. Other versions canbe built with the slider completely on the screen if desired.

It is noted that because all data presentation is programmable, that onecan have a presentation of information telling the driver what functionhe may perform, or should perform, with the control as well. Forexample, if the driver sets the fan speed to 5, the computer can causeto be displayed a suggestion that on air conditioning functions thecoldest setting of the temperature knob will be too cold, if the airdistribution knob is set to defrost, as just one example. In a fullyautomatic system this sort of thing would be taken care ofautomatically, but since the system is manual, hints to the operator areuseful.

It is noted that even though the slider is mounted off thescreen/control surface, its datum can if desired be seen by the samecamera (or cameras if desired) to see the knob data and the virtualindications entered by finger touch on icon boxes or the like. Theslider could be mounted on the screen, as can other sliders if desired.Two other sliders of the dual knob and slider version shown in FIG. 10 bcan replace the function of the dual knobs, thus a three slider versionat the bottom of the screen could take up even less vertical space.

It is also noted that rather than use two knobs concentric with eachother such as 3400 and 3440, one can use a single knob which can be forexample pulled out by the user in order to disengage it from themechanical linkage used to actuate a function. For example, knob 3400 inthis situation would still be able to be monitored for its position bythe vision system determination of the rotational position of datum3421. Thus in this outward free turning state of the knob 3400 can beused for example to control radio volume. When desired for it to controlthe mechanically actuated function again (e.g. temperature) it is pushedback to engage the linkage.

While not necessarily exhaustive of all the possible benefits, I wouldat this point like to sum up some features of the invention which add toboth economical cost and outstanding safety and functionality in theAutomobile Instrument Panel Application

-   -   1. First, the invention is primarily based on physical controls        such as knobs, sliders, dials, and switches which are familiar        to all, but at the same time further allows for inexpensive        additions of virtual touch related functions.    -   2. Second it provides a major improvement to the Instrument        panel today, namely that it allows the Radio and heater (audio        and climate) to be provided in classical arrangements, but time        sharing the same space, if desired, thereby freeing space for        other functions such as video displays or virtual control        functions, and/or allowing the individual controls of the Radio        and Heater to be easier to use, both from a tactile and        legibility point of view.    -   3. Third, It provides more display and control space in general,        as it allows the displayed information to go right to the        extremes of available space, and use any available space, even        if curved or irregular—completely impossible with LCD Flat panel        displays for example. And it allows data to even be projected        into the center of knobs and sliders and switches saving more        space, while allowing better visibility or both. The added        control space also allows simpler and larger controls (e.g. knob        diameter or switch size) to be used, a key feature for many        drivers, And virtual controls can also be larger and more easily        touched and actuated as well.    -   4. Fourth it allows for active tactile feedback to both        actuation of knobs and physical controls, or virtually displayed        touch functions. This feedback is in addition to any passive        tactile feedback afforded by grooves ridges or the like in the        screen or overlay surface.    -   5. Fifth, the invention allows the total display surface to in        effect become a touch screen at virtually no extra cost to that        needed for knobs and the like. And because all sensing is        non-contact in the preferred embodiment, the whole screen and        control surface can be interchanged which makes it easy to        accommodate multiple models and car lines, saving even more        money (especially since the individual components are dropping        in price rapidly). The knobs indeed can even be put on with        adhesive, and thus changed in type or position (along with        software as required) by the user or aftermarket vendor as well        as the manufacturer.    -   6. Sixth, the invention does all of the above in a manner that        meets or exceeds existing US Federal Motor Vehicle Safety        Regulation 101 for Controls and Displays. Because of this, costs        may be saved and Instrument panel or passenger compartment        “Clutter” reduced by bringing in more of the vehicle controls to        such a reconfigurable device.    -   7. The display may be quite bright if desired, much more easily        seen in various sunlit situations. And if visibility problems        for certain drivers are present, the lettering and figures can        all be increased in size. (Possibly requiring other less        important data to be left off, and perhaps accessed in a        separate operation)

Phrased in other words, the RTD invention herein disclosed and in otherpending applications, is outstanding in the areas of Functionality,Safety, Style and I believe, Cost as well. Safety also includescompliance with Government regulations such as FMVSS 101—this could be a5^(th) major item by itself, since many of the competitive approaches tothe functionality issue, don't comply. (E.g. I drive), and thus can'treplace as many functions, and thus can't have the big display etc. Thearguments are intertwined.

Functionality is enhanced, due to:

Big lettering

Big controls

Familiar controls—knobs etc. Least learning curve of any reconfigurablesystem (we think)

But also can have virtual controls via touch screen

Can have big easy to work virtual controls, as lots of touch screenspace—thus finger gestures possible (slider, turn, etc)

Lots of room for communication data (phone, telematics, vehiclefunctions

Biggest possible display (because can best share space with controls).Up to 8 times the area of a conventional 7 inch diagonal LCD display putinto similar instrument panel real estate, e.g. for navigation purposes

Biggest possible display when needed (e.g. may switch from instrumentsto backup cameras, or to navigation when needed. Made easier due to bigdisplay, with ability to squeezed down less important data)

Interactive display when desired. Whole thing may be a touch screen

Completely interchangeable screen and physical controls at almost nocost. This is initially a big benefit for the manufacturer who candifferentiate car lines and packages easily (also with software changesto match). It could also allow one to customize a rental car to your owninstrument panel preference.

Safety

Really good features for all drivers, but especially elderly or disabled

Big lettering

Big controls

Familiar controls—knobs etc. Least learning curve of any reconfigurablesystem I believe. Best for rental cars, other occasional use vehicles

Biggest possible display (because can best share space with controls)

Best for backing up with camera data input

This best enables ease of use of video camera data from vehicle or smarthighway functions (e.g. at intersections) and other safety related datato be displayed (e.g. road conditions)

Affordable, meaning more people can use it, thus becomes more standardand easy to use from vehicle to vehicle.

Passive safety enhanced by relative freedom of choice of screenmaterial—an important issue as screen size increases

Active feedback to touch commands and knob positions and switchpositions can optionally be provided, allowing minimum glance time (oroperation entirely by feel).

Passive relief details can easily be provided on the screen to alsoenhance tactile operation

Style

In the near term, only a projection type display which the RTD of todayuses can be curved and of the requisite materials for passive safety (abigger issue as the screen gets bigger). This fits exactly the styletrends of today

In addition, the screen can be irregular in shape, and have objectsinserted into it (E.g. CD), or through it (like a gear shift lever).This allows total freedom stylistically and placement wise in theinstrument panel. The RTD thus isn't really “in” the instrument panel,but rather it becomes the instrument panel. It isn't just anotherdisplay device like an LCD flat panel display.

There is total freedom of materials choices too. And one can changescreens/control surfaces to suit individual buyers or groups of buyers.Change in all regards, not only in software, but also in hardware,either materials and shapes or controls.

Cost

The RTD continues to appear less costly than a conventional instrumentpanel having electrically controlled HVAC and a sound system. It may intime be less expensive than even today's low line vehicle center stack

The RTD saves further, if the comparison is to an instrument panelhaving a conventional (Eg 5-7 inch diagonal) flat panel LCD display, andeven more so if it is a conventional touch screen type.

The RTD saves still more if one would put the instruments and gages(e.g. Speedometer, fuel) in the center stack, like the Toyota Echo orSaturn ION vehicles today.

The RTD can be mounted easily as a single self contained unit. Allcontrols and display hardware with a minimum of interconnects. Thecamera or other electro-optical sensing device of the invention can alsobe used to sense and input data to the computer of the invention tocorrect the brightness or color of the projected data in response tochanges in screen background or light sources.

FMVSS 101 is contained in USA CFR Title 49 part 571. “Light” as usedherein includes all electro-magnetic wavelengths from ultraviolet tonear infrared.

The foregoing discussion should be understood as illustrative and shouldnot be considered to be limiting in any sense. While this invention hasbeen particularly shown and described with references to preferredembodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the artthat various changes in form and details maybe made therein withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1. A control panel system comprising a plurality of control details,each of said details having a movable portion with respect to a fixedportion attached to said panel and moved by a user of the panel to entera control command, each of said details having a display surface in thecenter, at least one light projection device adapted to projectchangeable information onto at least one of said display surfaces, and acomputer adapted to control the projection of said information, and tocontrol a system based on at least one of said control commands.
 2. Acontrol panel system according to claim 1, further including a computerto control said projection device to display changeable graphicalinformation.
 3. A control panel system according to claim 1, whereinsaid information is projected in response to a control command of theuser.
 4. A control panel system according to claim 1, wherein changeabletextural information is displayed.
 5. A control panel system accordingto claim 1, wherein changeable graphical information is displayed.
 6. Acontrol panel system according to claim 1, wherein changeable imageinformation is displayed.
 7. A control panel system according to claim6, wherein changeable image information is a portion of a larger imagesurrounding said control detail.
 8. A control panel system according toclaim 1, wherein at least one of said control details is a knob.
 9. Acontrol panel system according to claim 1, wherein at least one of saidcontrol details is a switch.
 10. A control panel system according toclaim 8, wherein the center portion of said knob including said displaysurface rotates with respect to an outer portion.
 11. A control panelsystem according to claim 8, wherein the outer portion of said knob isadapted to rotate about a fixed center portion including said displaysurface.
 12. A control panel system according to claim 1, wherein saidcontrol panel comprises at least a portion of an instrument panel of avehicle.
 13. A control panel system according to claim 12, wherein saidinformation is changeable to include audio information and climatecontrol information.
 14. A method for constructing a physical controldetail for displaying information, which detail is mounted to a rearprojection screen which diffuses light projected on it by a video imageprojection device, comprising the steps of: providing a screen which hassubstantially no diffusing properties in at least a portion of the areaoverlapped by the control detail; providing a clear path for projectedlight through said portion to pass through said detail; and, providingwithin said physical control detail at a position with said clear path,a diffusing surface for rendering data in a projected image visible to auser of the control detail.
 15. A method according to claim 14 whereinthe detail is a knob, slider or switch.
 16. Apparatus for controlling afunction of interest to a user of the apparatus, comprising: a computercontrolled rear projection display of video images on a display screenobservable by the user, said display screen having an cutout in it; amechanism protruding through said cutout for use by the user; means todetermine a characteristic of said mechanism; and; a mechanism tocontrol said display or another function according to saiddetermination.
 17. A method according to claim 16, wherein saidmechanism is a slot machine or transmission lever.
 18. A method foroperating a switch mounted to the front of a rear projection screen andvisible to a machine vision system behind the screen, comprising thesteps of: providing one or more reflecting portions of said switch,which vary with switch position with respect to said vision system;illuminating the reflecting portions of the switch with light frombehind the screen; determining, from images of said reflective portions,data related to the location, width or spacing of one or more of saidreflecting portions; and from said determined width, spacing orlocation, determining the state of said switch in order to cause acontrol action relating thereto.
 19. A control system for a home,comprising: a display and control surface mounted in a portion of saidhome; physical control details such as knobs mounted to the frontsurface of the screen of said display, and sensed by machine vision frombehind the screen; said machine vision adapted to sense a user's touchon said front surface; and, a communications device to communicatecontrol information to controlled functions in the home.